Part-privatisation of probation services 'irredeemably flawed', warns chief inspector
2 min read
The use of private firms to monitor offenders serving community sentences is “irredeemably flawed”, the chief inspector of probation has warned.
Dame Glenys Stacey said it would be “safer” if the supervision of criminals was back in public ownership.
The findings, contained in her annual report, are yet another blow to Chris Grayling, who introduced the shake-up as Justice Secretary in 2014.
Dame Glenys said: “The probation model delivered by Transforming Rehabilitation is irredeemably flawed.
"Above all, it has proved well-nigh impossible to reduce probation services to a set of contractual requirements."
She added: “We are not talking here about who supplies your internet access.
"To be plain, public ownership is the safer option for the core work. There’s no doubt about that but it’s all in the detail of the model."
Private community rehabilitation companies were managing more than 150,000 offenders on probation - more than half the total - across England and Wales at the end of September last year.
But eight out of 10 firms involved were rated “inadequate” by inspectors in visits since January last year.
Dame Glenys also warned the number of probation professionals is at a "critical" level, with too much reliance on unqualified or agency staff.
Justice minister Rory Stewart accepted "the current model is not working".
He said: “Our reforms mean 40,000 more offenders are being supervised, which is a positive move for public safety, but it is clear the current model is not working and there is much more we need to do.
“We have already taken decisive action to end the current contracts early and have invested an extra £22 million a year to support offenders on release – and we are carefully considering how best to deliver an effective probation service for the future.”
Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon also lashed out at the "reckless" privatisation in response to the report.
He said: "Chris Grayling's reckless privatisation of probation has left the public less safe and wasted hundreds of millions of pounds in bailing out failing private probation companies.
“Instead of continuing with the deeply flawed idea of running probation for profit, the Tories need to act on the mounting evidence, scrap their plans for new private contracts and bring probation back in house.
“Labour is committed to returning probation to the public sector where it can focus on keeping the public safe. The respected Lord Ramsbotham will soon be publishing detailed plans on how Labour can best do this.”
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