In anticipation of changes made by the Sentencing Act (2026) the Communicable Disease Inclusion Health Programme (CDIHP) and the Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU) in Public Health Wales (PHW) hosted a participatory workshop with professionals from across the criminal justice system to inform a Health Impact Assessment (HIA).
The workshop explored the implications of the UK reforms on healthcare in prison and community settings (both devolved matters in Wales), identifying affected population groups and the key determinants of health and wellbeing likely to be influenced. The findings from the HIA are presented in a summary (Part 1) and in a more detailed technical report (Part 2).
Findings from the HIA will inform policy development and service delivery for individuals within the criminal justice system and other impacted groups, supporting consideration of potential health impacts to mitigate any negative effects on health and wellbeing.