Arts programmes in prisons can dramatically reduce the rate of re-offending, which in turn generates savings to the taxpayer, new research shows.

The research, Unlocking Value, was commissioned by the Arts Alliance, funding by Arts Council England and produced by New Philanthropy Capital.

It explores the value of the arts in criminal justice by examining the results of three charities – Clean Break, Only Connect and Unitas – who each work with different groups of offenders.

The research found the charities reduced re-offending rates, which in turn generate savings to the public purse.

Only Connect, which is a London-based arts charity for prisoners and ex-offenders, more than halved expected rates of re-offending from an estimated 57.5 per cent without the charity to 25.9 per cent with the charity. This generates savings of over £3.2m to the criminal justice system over six years.

Tim Robertson, chair of the Arts Alliance said: “This report makes it clear that arts-based interventions can help to reduce re-offending, and in doing so also save serious amounts of public money. The criminal justice sector needs to open its doors to arts organisations and find new ways of working in partnership with them.”

Re-offending costs the government between £9.5bn and £13bn a year, with two in five adults re-offending within a year of release.

Unlocking Value is being launched today with a public debate at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, The debate, chaired by Lord Ian Blair, former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, is part of a wider programme of events in connection with a showcase of work by prisoners and others in secure settings, held at the Southbank Centre.