Wednesday 25 March 2015

The Truth Will Out

Readers will know that Frances Crook of the Howard League has been prevented by NOMS HQ from taking up an invitation to visit two privately-run jails. This from the Guardian:-

Banning me from prisons won’t silence the truth

There are 14 privately run prisons in England and Wales and on Friday I received an email informing me that I am banned from visiting two of them, not by G4S who had invited me, but by the Ministry of Justice.

My charity, the Howard League for Penal Reform, argues that making money out of punishing people is both reprehensible and immoral and it is on these grounds that we have opposed the private management of prisons. Successive governments have privatised prisons, so it is not a party political issue. It has been claimed that introducing private sector competition into the penal estate has driven up standards but there is no evidence for this, indeed suicide and violence rates, along with similar evidence, points to the contrary. The only rigorous research commissioned by the Ministry of Justice to compare the two systems has never been published; I am told that it does not support this contention.

I have seen good and bad practice in both private and public sector prisons, having spent 25 years working in the system. I have never been a fan of G4S, indeed we have been pressing the Serious Fraud Office to pursue its investigation into the various companies accused of fraud on the tagging contract more vigorously. However, I accepted the invitation to visit two of the G4S prisons to see for myself. Private prisons are taking £500m of taxpayers’ money each year, so they have to have independent scrutiny.

I was due to visit Oakwood, one of the biggest prisons in the country, which had a very rocky start, with allegations that it was easier to get drugs than soap. I was also due to visit Birmingham, the first Victorian prison to be taken over by a private company. I wanted to see what improvements had been made in both jails.

I understand that the company informed the Ministry of Justice several weeks ago that I had been invited and it is bemused as to why it took so long to inform me that my visit was being prohibited. The implication is that the decision was taken on high.

The most surprising aspect was the crude letter sent to me by a senior civil servant. Had the MoJ wanted to stop me visiting, it would have been simple to write a carefully crafted letter suggesting that operational reasons, or sensitivity due to the election meant that at this time my visit was inappropriate. I would never have permitted a letter like this to be sent by one of my staff, and it is an indication of an atmosphere created at the very top.

When I posted the letter, without comment, on Twitter, it went viral because it was so rude. It was retweeted, favourited, linked and commented on in social media tens of thousands of times.

It is all the more amazing because today Lord Woolf has said that prisons are in as bad a state as 25 years ago when he investigated the cause of the riots in Strangeways and 20 other prisons. The triple whammy inflicted on prisons by government policies means that they are dangerous, violent places. They closed 18 prisons and relocated tens of thousands of men to the remaining jails. They cut staff numbers by more than a third. They allowed the numbers of people going to prisons on remand and under sentence to rise.

Report after report by the chief inspector of prisons and by independent monitors have told how people are locked in their cells with nothing to do for weeks on end and that violence is rising. If we treat people like this we cannot expect them to emerge into the community magically transformed into law-abiding citizens.

I recently spent time with the family of an 18-year-old young man who had only spent a day in prison when he hanged himself in his cell. He was one of 82 people who took their own lives in prisons last year. Things are going badly wrong and we have to tell it like it is.

Frances Crook

As it's Wednesday and Parliament is still sitting prior to dissolution, the House of Commons will be packed for PMQ's - Prime Minister's Questions. The shabby treatment of Frances Crook has resulted in an Early Day Motion and readers are urged to contact their MP this morning and urge them to sign it. The government must not be allowed to get away with trying to hide what's going on inside our prisons.

Early day motion 906

INVITATION TO FRANCES CROOK TO VISIT HM PRISON OAKWOOD

That this House notes that G4S issued an invitation to Frances Crook, the Chief Executive of the Howard League, to visit HM Prison Oakwood; further notes that the Director of Custodial Services at the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), Ian Blakeman, decided that the visit would not be appropriate at the time given Ms Crook's comments about private prisons, and informed G4S that it should withdraw the invitation; expresses great concern that NOMS should seek to prevent this visit, especially given that G4S specifically invited Ms Crook; and calls on the Government to ensure NOMS allows the visit to take place and encourages scrutiny of the justice system.

74 comments:

  1. Probation Officer25 March 2015 at 09:12

    Napo's press office is silent as usual!

    Do you think the MoJ would have got away with TR and selling off probation if Frances Crook had been the Napo General Secretary?

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  2. Easter looms.
    There are no visits in prisons on Good Friday. It's a four day weekend, and prisoners tend to be locked up for far longer over the weekends. The clocks will have moved and those four days will enevitably seem much longer to those locked away.
    There will be four days of packed lunches, less access to telephones, showers and recreation activities.
    The sun could also be 'splitting the flags', just to keep whatever may be simmering behind the walls warm and uncomfortable enough to boil over!
    Staff shortages and over crowding to boot!
    I'm wondering if William Hill will take a £5 bet that Easter weekend will see some serious disturbances accross the prison estate?
    But there again, Grayling insists everything is fine and dandy. So I guess it must be eh?

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  3. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/25/gangs-operated-openly-in-dorset-prison-say-inspectors

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  4. Outsourcer calls for independent watchdog

    Gill Plimmer and Sarah NevilleOne of the world’s biggest outsourcing companies has urged the UK government to set up an independent regulator to monitor the scandal-hit industry.Debbie White, UK chief executive of Sodexo, which runs prison and probation services in Britain, called for the appointment of an “inspector of ethics and transparency to provide oversight of contracts management and delivery”.The move came as the government announced its own transparency drive, demanding that large suppliers disclose profit margins and revenues on public sector contracts.Companies including G4S and Serco have become global pioneers in outsourcing for the public and private sectors but have come under attack in the UK after a series of scandals. Most recently, G4S and Serco were accused of charging for the electronic tagging of offenders who were dead.There is growing concern in Whitehall that poor relations between the government and outsourcers have damaged the image of contracted services in public eyes. Rebuilding trust will be vital as the government contemplates a fresh wave of outsourcing after the election, senior officials and ministers believe.Announcing the move to encourage disclosure, Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, said outsourcers would no longer be able to use the excuse of “commercial confidentiality” to hold back information. It was “right for suppliers to make a healthy and competitive return” but there should be “no more unnecessary or unreasonable hiding behind the opacity of ‘commercially sensitive’ information as an excuse not to disclose”.The CBI welcomed the initiative and said it had been working with the industry, the government and others to improve transparency for all providers of public services “so the public can judge performance effectively”.

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    1. Above comment only hakf the article from the FT- hit paywall when I went back fir second part-sorry.

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    2. Doncha just love it when Francis Maude, Cabinet Minder for Cameron, states there should be "no more unnecessary or unreasonable hiding behind the opacity of ‘commercially sensitive’ information as an excuse not to disclose”.

      So apply that principle to yourself & your Tory chums, old bean. Hundreds of FOI requests have been thwarted by just that argument.

      Or take it further and just answer the questions people want simple, honest answers to. Like answering if & when Grayling paid back his over-generous expense claims. Or what on earth possessed Grayling to push for Nacro McDowell as HMI Probation, in the knowledge that Mrs MaccyD was head of business development at Sodexo, ergo a conflict of interest.

      As for the CBI arguing for transparency... Hehehehehehe!!!

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    3. Their hypocrisy no longer appears to be a source of shame for them. It is almost a badge of honour.

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  5. Braking News (uh?)... BBC don't actually sack Clarkson, they just don't renew his contract. So does this mean that BBC "talent", aka employees, CAN berate, abuse & actually hit colleagues and still avoid being dismissed?

    Eddie Mair tried to clarify the situation with Alan Yentob on tonight's PM programme (R4) and all Yentob did was laugh & ask Mair if he was being serious...

    In fact this means that the BBC have NOT taken any action at all over Clarkson - they've actually taken an inaction, i.e. by not renewing his contract.

    A bit like NAPO seem to be behaving over TR then?

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    1. Watch this space 'cos the North Yorks boys in blue are about to fettle Mr Clarkson....

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  6. ?The Truth about EVR? Still not a peep out of our new CRC employer, our local NAPO branch or central NAPO regarding the effective dates surrounding, &/or the continuing availability of, EVR.

    I haven't asked (what's left of) our local HR team as, without any CRC owner's decision, I fully understand that they wouldn't be able to offer any information.

    Cynics still argue the CRC shitmeisters will drag due diligence out until August 2015, then start making redundancy decisions from October 2015 onwards, i.e. outside the magic 'seven months' window - to a chorus of "told you so".

    So, just when I thought the scars were healing from the farcical November 11 2013 shafting exercise, it now looks like we can look forward to another pre-Xmas period of bending over and bracing ourselves... and it isn't 1 April yet !!

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    1. And there are plenty of us then say "told you so". Its exactly what is going to happen.

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    2. Anony 19:10 I was just saying that to a work mate today where are sedexo, never heard from them since the briefing. The reply was the are coming and coming with so much force we will not know what has hit us, well redundancy will be what hits us. In our CRC in my department it is a joke, the manager cannot manager in fact never been able to manage hide behind everyone else.
      Even one of my offenders today told me it was a joke, I used to say I was proud to work for this company, but not now.

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    3. Sad to hear what both 20:37 & 21:06 are saying. I did email my HR dept & got a reply to the effect that, understandably, until our CRC masters make a decision or an announcement, HR haven't a clue - nor can they calculate any possible figures for anyone.

      It rather supports the view that those "in the know" took what they could, when they could, & made a run for it at the most timely opportunity. For those priveleged few that likely means they'll disappear before end August 2015 with 67 weeks' worth of dosh in the bank, 12 months' salary to boot & full of delusional belief that they "made a difference".

      Plus ca change.

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    4. Staff in the CRC in South yorks have now been informed of the redundancies . Staff to be gone by end of May and letters with offers to arrive in the post. No info yet on whether they will be enhanced ?

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    5. Hang on! Compulsory redundancies cant take place at least until 7 mths post share sale ( see NNC Staff Transfer Agreement)

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  7. Has anybody else heard about the new fixed court fees from next month? They are shockingly steep eg £100s following guilty plea and £1,000 following conviction after trial and Mags will have no discretion whatsoever. It's sickening. Apparently sneaked in under statutory instrument, announced today. Our local sols are furious, one telling the Msgs today 'everyone needs to wake up to what is happening'. The poor and vulnerable will drown even further under this vicious regime.

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    1. One service user I worked with had agreed at Court for his fines to be taken from his JSA but told them it was in the process of being moved to ESA. When the Court tried to take the money they were told JSA was no longer set up. Service user was homeless and could not be contacted. Two weeks later he came to see me and said he was due to start ESA and could we spend a one of our appointment time letting fines department know (he has no phone). We contacted fines department. They had already passed on to debt collectors who had added their own fees.

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    2. I know this sounds mad but there is a part of me that says let it happen and watch it all unravel. These developments are making the problems worse and worse.

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    3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debtors%27_prison

      debtors prisons make a return under the conservatives libdems.

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  8. Good little item on BBC South Today local news after the main 10.30pm bulletin. Reporting of Nick Hardwick's inspection of HMP Guys Marsh last November and the dire straits the prison was/is in. Nick described it as one of the worst prison regimes he had ever seen. Frances Crook was then interviewed, and gave a damning precis of the MoJ decision to shed staff, then, to meet the inevitable shortfall in staffing numbers, to close prisons and bus their staff to the (then) overcrowded prisons to make up the shortfall. The item included NOMs response - the usual bland 'changes made...robust regime....things are all right now' response we've come to expect. But as Frances Crook pointed out very strongly - things ARE NOT all right within our prisons, and the public have a right to know this.
    Deb

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  9. Prison Offender Supervisors now doubling up on duties after bench marking so impossible to get sentence planning done.....now they are not submitting MAPPA reports on time - just how dangerous is THAT? YES DANGEROUS!

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  10. BREAKING NEWS:

    Sodexo have released workforce planning numbers for Cumbria and lancashire CRC. "We currently have an establishment of 340 full time staff. We will need to move to 217 by autumn".

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  11. http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/prison-charity-head-banned-hmp-8925684

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    1. Lord Faulks told peers at question time: “A wide range of organisations and individuals independent of the prison service including inspectors, monitoring boards, parliamentarians and researchers are frequently given access to our prisons.

      “It is right that prisons face scrutiny and are subject to public debate.

      “Our priority is the welfare of prisoners, their families and those who work in prisons.

      “Inaccurate and irresponsible criticisms undermine their welfare.

      “Noms have the right to refuse access to those who voice such criticisms.”

      Lord Ramsbotham, an independent crossbench peer, hit back, saying: “Only those who fear the truth need to try to suppress it, as the Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling) is trying to do with a long-established, independent voluntary organisation whose only crimes have been to oppose him and to expose untruths.

      “Can you ensure the House that this shameful instruction will be withdrawn and never again repeated in a free United Kingdom?”

      Lord Faulks said that Ms Crook “disapproved of private prisons and is quoted as saying they make money out of punishing people – it is both reprehensible and immoral”.

      “Just before Christmas she said on Newsnight that for a three-week period over Christmas offenders would be locked in their cells while there was as 40 per cent reduction in staff numbers,” he said.

      “Both these assertions were completely wrong. She was given the opportunity to retract them, she declined to do so.

      “Noms have to bear in mind the welfare of prisoners – families would be concerned at such misinformation – and the morale of prison officers.”

      He said Mr Grayling had “nothing to do with the decision taken by Noms”.

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  12. Very drunk man in northern hostelry confirms news that 37% of staff to be shed in Cumbria & Lancashire CRC by August 2015.

    "And finally, a big thank you and well done to Chris Grayling, Probation Trust Chiefs, NOMS & all collaborators. Where would we be without their tireless efforts to **** us in the ****?"

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    Replies
    1. Much, much worse than I expected. Time to leave. I'm not staying to deal with that mess.

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    2. uh? We currently have four POs carrying approx 60 cases each, and six PSOs carrying approx 80 each.

      Using that formula we'll end up with three POs carrying 80 cases each & four PSOs with 120 cases each.

      Or will it be seven members of staff variously on long term sick, detained under the MHAct or buried in their favourite church yard?

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  13. Aye, Jim - The Truth WILL Out.

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  14. Totally off topic, but some may enjoy the Tory front bench squirm in this video when they're caught out being sneaky and underhand.

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/watch-this-emotional-speech-from-a-tory-mp

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  15. Re the Sodexo blood letting that began in Cumbria today....All the temp POs that are all over the place now need to go and make room for those PO's from the CRCs who have been well and truly shafted.....and to all of those who took the moral high ground when some of us were fighting for our jobs and who looked on whilst we struck-this was what we were saying would happen and has, unfortunately come to pass....

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    1. I was worried about being made redundant, but even more so now hearing what the numbers are in CRC cumbria. I know everyone is feeling frightened, I am personally a single parent with two children, mortgage, bills. Just like everyone else. Really scary time.

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  16. Are there any figures as to how many agency staff there are in Cumbria? Surely they should be the first to go??

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  17. I believe that there are almost entire offices staffed with agency staff in some ;parts of Manchester....

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  18. How do we know this cumbria rumour is true? Where is the evidence for the claims being made above?

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    1. Just got home after a difficult & emotionally charged afternoon.

      To any doubters or cynics, the Info from Cumbria & Lancs CRC was circulated to all staff by Chief Exec via email. This is not a hoax or scaremongering. No doubt someone will find a way of getting a copy of the email to blog central.

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    2. I feel for those in Cumbria & Lancs - both those who may lose their jobs and those who are left behind, you simply can't run any kind of effective service on those sort of lines. Very sad times.

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  19. Yes is they are anyone in Cumbria to confirm the above?

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  20. It is fact, Email sent to all Cumbria & Lancashire staff confirms case admin will reduce from 57 to 30, PSO's from 88 to 71, PO's from 56 to 31, Middle managers from 19 to 9, Senior managers from 9 to 5, Corporate staff from 60 to 16, unpaid work increase from 28 to 29 and Programmes increase from 23 to 26. It is not yet confirmed but likely that the central hub will be in Preston with local management units in Carlisle, Preston and Accrington, neighbourhood offices in Blackpool, Lancaster, Barrow and Workington. It is a mess, a bloody mess.

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    1. That's not surprising...the contract arrangements mean that there is money for accredited programmes but not for other parts. PF and Ingeus not woken up to this yet as they are looking to cut Programmes. The issue will be around SFOs when they happen. Sodexo are taking a huge reputational risk, and I suspect there will be no winners in this.

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  21. I can confirm we were sent the email in Lancashire. We are waiting to hear if voluntary redundancy will be offered or if Sodexo will play dirty and do compulsory redundancy after the 7 month clause. Mood in office very somber today with people considering their options.

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  22. Seems purple futures aren't as cut throat. Yet? Can anyone from other CRCs confirm?

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    1. i'm in the PF and we've not heard a dickie bird. Apparently they're plotting as we speak. I'm sure this time next week we'll be posting similar comments - its going to be a domino effect around the country.

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  23. THE SILENCE FROM NAPO IS DEAFENING (intentional shouting so as to be heard over the din emanating from Not-so-Chivalrous Road)

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  24. I am so, so, so saddened to hear the news above. CRC staff shafted at every turn of this process. Those that did not fight against the demise of our previously award winning service should hang their heads in shame. These are our colleagues, no one deserves what is happening. No one is safe, its doesn't matter which CRC area you are in or who the feck won your contract - this is just the start. NPS staff - you want to hope the tories don't get back in because it will be you next for the culling too. YES WHERE ARE MEMBERS OF NAPO HQ - have they taken redundancy.

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  25. Please let us not forget the info from this morning, hiding away at the top of the comments list:

    "Staff in the CRC in South yorks have now been informed of the redundancies . Staff to be gone by end of May and letters with offers to arrive in the post. No info yet on whether they will be enhanced ?"

    Any news from South Yorks CRC about numbers?

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    1. I cant see anything in the comments about sth yorks??

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    2. It was a comment made 08:44. South Yorkshire are looking at approx 1 third cut. Not 100% sure on the breakdown grade by grade as it's only been communicated to grades most at risk of cuts. I'm not naive enough to think Sodexo will make further cuts. Oh as for EVR Sodexo are crying with excuse of "we didn't see that in the contracts boo hoo hoo". Ignorance is no defence.

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  26. Sickens me to the core anon 19:44.x

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  27. Sad very sad looking at the numbers at Cumbria. I can see we will be getting interview again for jobs and fighting for jobs. Bloody nightmare.

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    1. i'll just walk - stuff em. Creditors can have £1 per month and i'll do some temping for a while. I'm past caring now it's been going on for too long.

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    2. That is exactly how I feel. Life is more important, not going to get stressed over it. My creditors can have 50p from me hahaha.

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    3. I can understand how you are feeling 20:06 and 20:10, however I find it disgusting that this is happening and NAPO HQ and indeed UNISON are saying nothing.

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    4. The whole thing is disgusting, in my department they have hired two members of staff on a 5 month contract. Cannot understand why, and when you ask why they been hired they will not answer. I am training them and feel that they are here to replace me and other staff, as they are on less pay them us. Am i reading into to something that is not there. ????

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    5. Sadly anon 20:17 you might not be reading into something that isn't there. I feel it is very clear that that they want to ditch longstanding staff who are too expensive and bring in the cheaper crew. They did it in prisons and look at the state of them now.

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  28. Lets face it, our MASTERS PAST, OUR MASTER PRESENT, NAPO AND UNISON have SOLD us down the river.

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  29. I took strike action, attended branch meetings and I was reported to management by a colleague who is non union for alerting staff to this very possibility as being disloyal to my trust. I hoped to promote solidarity to oppose TR. I tried and failed, many others tried too. I just want to express solidarity to all colleagues affected by this my heart goes out to you and your families. This is a shameful betrayal of loyal public servants.
    A PO

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    1. I took strike action, even though I am not in the union, wanted to keep my money and not give it to a union. But feel the same as when the strikes were on that striking does not change a thing. if the government want to sell they well sell. no amount of striking will stop them. But like I said I did strike.

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    2. I'm with you Anon 20:23.

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    3. Any boss of any organisation can make an argument for redundancies. No Union can prevent an organisation having that right BUT the redundancies have to be consulted upon/negotiated, they are not fait accompli. Negotiations will need to be sharp to protect staff as much as possible and its going to be messy but we knew that and thats why we have been fighting the TR plans as knew despite any so called fine words it was about doing more for less, risking quality Service and jeopardising safety. The knife has been drawn now so panic not the answer but skilful representational work to support members and Service delivery.

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  30. Swift email from Northumbria CEO this afternoon (sent while he's on leave), calling the managers in to a meeting Monday morning. NAPO/ Unison sent communication yesterday to members about EVR. The NNC staff transfer and protection agreement, the staff transfer scheme and the services agreement between CRC owners and the MOJ provide for any redundancies which arise during the LIFETIME of the CRC contract in connection with TR to be dealt with under the terms of the agreed NNC voluntary redundancy scheme. In the T&C of this, point 16 states "in addition, the commercial contracts will specify that, other than where more beneficial terms exist, where voluntary redundancy is offered, the enhanced terms set out in Appendix B should apply to any member of staff in a CRC employed by a Probation Trust on 31 May 2014.

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  31. So that is Cumbria, North Yorks and now Northumbria. Looks like they are moving fast now. I think I will make that last nice purchase for myself before I get the P45.

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  32. Sodexo prison officers get paid around £8,000 less per annum than public prison officers. Doesn't take a genius to work out what they will cut after staff numbers and office bases.

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  33. We've all been shafted. I have seen colleagues devote their working lives to this organisation. Been through the mill, produced results, cared about our clients, and for what? To be booted out of the door with not so much as a second glance. This new world of probation sickens me. It really does. This is not what I stand for. Meat processing "offenders" and worse for the staff. I've seen people really cry today; it was awful.

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  34. Probation Officer26 March 2015 at 21:15

    Just to say I feel really sorry for all those in the CRC's facing what seems to be immediate job losses.

    The period May-Autumn suggested is just around the corner, so it seems the privateer probation companies are to waste no time in cost cutting.

    Sodexo has started the ball rolling and they will all follow suit. They intend to make a profit at any cost so cutting staff and ditching existing premises will be high on their agenda. I think the MoJ will be watching this to see what they can replicate in the NPS.

    I recall sitting in a meeting in the early stages of TR. It was assumed that whatever takeover agreements, T's & C's, etc were made the CRC owners would be able to bypass these by "restructuring". From the comments above it sounds like "restructuring" is on the horizon.

    It's anyone's guess what this will include, but will probably include for staff that survive significant cuts in salary and new job descriptions to justify doing more for less. Maybe even to justify doing nothing at all.

    I wish I could have an honest chat with one of those ex-probation chief officers that sold us out as THEY KNOW exactly what's coming. There's a bunch of them on Twitter tweeting about their new lives after probation and with massive redundancy packages we'll never get. I'd suggest any Twitter users ask them a few questions.

    If there was ever a key time for Napo to speak up it is now. But then this is the same Napo that sold us down the river and gave away our Judicial Review.

    We knew this was coming but hoped it wouldn't. I'm sorry I can't say anything positive or supportive, but I really wish I could because I feel for you all.

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    1. Oh but surely NAPO did us proud - T&C's protected for SEVEN years, but unfortunately thoroughly undermined & compromised by the "no compulsory redundancies within seven months from share sale". FUCKWITS!!

      The globals have lawyers who are paid £millions because they are clever pieces of shit & they know every loophole, every escape route, every wriggle and every teflon option. This was said and raised & argued by many during the emergence of TR, but the concerns were shot down in flames by those in the thrall of Ian Lawrence & the incompetent NAPO. God only knows why UNISON (a much bigger &, I thought, wilier union) rolled over? Perhaps because the "probation specialists" persuaded them to play along?

      I can't believe I've contributed to £70K a year for a Gen Sec who's shafted me and the NAPO membership so hard I've lost all sense of direction when it comes to expressing my rage. Grayling? Trust management? NOMS? NAPO? TR apologists? Myself?

      Go on, Probation Institute & those who insisted this devastating outcome wasn't possible - justify your collaboration & approval for the nest of vipers who are responsible for this heap of life-wrecking bollocks.

      Delete
  35. Good job Paul McD abandoned ship from HMIP when he did - you don't think he maybe had advance warning this was coming do you?

    Given that Mrs McD is the Sodexo CEO behind these swingeing cuts to probation staff I'd put money on the likelihood that the McWeasel would have been lynched if he'd shown face at any probation office.

    Wonder if this cleansing process was the catalyst for the fallout between Sodexo & Nacro?

    Still, as a caterer you can't take the risk that there'll be anything left lying around that might cause infection, eh?

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    1. I don't know anything about a Sodexo-Nacro fall out? What's the story?

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  36. well, sodexo mole, apparently once upon a time there was an agreement between sodexo & nacro that they'd jointly run some probation work because there was a load of money to be made but sodexo had to be the primary bidder because nacro couldn't put up £Millions of collateral and so a deal was done but then there was an embarassing disclosure about two people who were related and one of them became a lot more powerful than the other but no-one seems to know what happened and then the sodexo side said they wanted to get rid of loads of expensive probation staff and replace them with cheaper staff because thats how they make their money, just like they did at HMP Northumberland, but then it is alleged in private places that nacro got a belated conscience because, whilst it was far too late, they eventually realised that they were only involved as a siege ladder for sodexo, so once sodexo were over the wall they would ditch the ladders outside the walls or pull them up later to chop them up & use them for firewood, so it is now alleged that nacro are unhappy at ending up as kindling - or was that just a weird dream i had?

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  37. I am so sorry and angry to hear all of this. I hope the same doesn't happen anywhere else. Ant to my crc workmates in my area. I'm well aware that if the Tories get in the same will befall us in the nps. I vere between anger despair and rage.

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    1. It will happen to the majority of CRC's, they are all there to make a profit. Staff is a massive cost and will get rid as soon as possible.

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  38. And then they came for me... and there was no-one left...

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  39. I recall what Richard Johnson wrote back in June 2013 and later his evidence to a House of Commons committee:-

    "Spend to offend (the outsourcing of probation)

    http://buyingqp.com/2013/06/17/spend-to-offend-the-outsourcing-of-probation/ "

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