This from Napo yesterday on the prison early release fiasco did not mince words:-
The ECSL scheme has attracted further attention in the media and in Parliament this week, including being the focus of exchanges between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions. But was everything that was said true?
Members will be aware that HMPPS’s End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) scheme has attracted further attention in the media and in Parliament this week, including being the focus of exchanges between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Those of us with any experience of the ECSL will have struggled to recognise the scheme as described by the Prime Minister (as detailed in the Parliamentary record – Engagements – Hansard – UK Parliament).
To be crystal clear, these statements are inaccurate and Napo members across England and Wales can cite hundreds of examples since the ECSL scheme was launched in October 2023 to evidence this.
Whether the Prime Minister deliberately lied to Parliament depends on how well he was advised on ECSL before he stood up in the House of Commons and started speaking. It may well be the case that, rather than being an outright liar, he simply hasn’t got a clue what he’s talking about and just parroted out whatever nonsense was written down in his briefing papers.
The problem for HMPPS is that this isn’t the first time that a Government minister has made inaccurate statements about ECSL.
In what seems to be the most recent written Ministerial Statement on ECSL, dated the 11th of March 2024, – https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-03-11/hcws332 – Alex Chalk (Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice) made these comments.
HMPPS is quick to threaten its workforce with the consequences of breaches of the Civil Service Code (The Civil Service code – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)), and all too often bend over backwards to spuriously include it in disciplinary allegations against individual members of staff. The question from Napo for HMPPS senior leaders is, in line with the Code and its expectations on ‘honesty’ and ‘integrity’, what they’ve done to make clear to these Ministers they’ve misled Parliament and the public about the ECSL scheme? Unless they act – evidenced by the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor going on to correct the Parliamentary record – this looks a lot like yet another case of HMPPS having one set of rules for front-line staff and another for its senior leaders.
Next steps in our campaign
Napo continues to maintain contact with figures in Parliament and the media as we’ve set out in previous mailouts about ECSL, as well as having ongoing meetings with HMPPS on the issue. Yesterday the Napo General Secretary was interviewed by Sky News who have afforded extensive coverage of the Prisons crisis see the interview here.
It remains vital for members to continue to keep us updated with their experiences of this ECSL – without including confidential or sensitive information on the individuals released under the scheme – as we have used these in the work Napo has undertaken in publicising our concerns. We want to again extend our thanks to members who have been in contact with us to this point, it’s very much appreciated.
Please contact your Link Officials and Officers or use the following email address if you want to share any of these experiences with us as your trade union representatives info@napo.org.uk
Members will be aware that HMPPS’s End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) scheme has attracted further attention in the media and in Parliament this week, including being the focus of exchanges between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Those of us with any experience of the ECSL will have struggled to recognise the scheme as described by the Prime Minister (as detailed in the Parliamentary record – Engagements – Hansard – UK Parliament).
“There are strict eligibility criteria in place, with exclusions based on public safety. No one would be put on the scheme if they were deemed a threat to public safety.“
“Let me be crystal clear: no one would be put on the scheme if they were deemed a threat to the public.”
“Offenders are subject to the toughest of licensing conditions and, if those conditions are broken, they are back in prison for considerably longer.”
“As I said, no one should be put on the scheme if they are a threat to the public.”The true story
To be crystal clear, these statements are inaccurate and Napo members across England and Wales can cite hundreds of examples since the ECSL scheme was launched in October 2023 to evidence this.
Whether the Prime Minister deliberately lied to Parliament depends on how well he was advised on ECSL before he stood up in the House of Commons and started speaking. It may well be the case that, rather than being an outright liar, he simply hasn’t got a clue what he’s talking about and just parroted out whatever nonsense was written down in his briefing papers.
The problem for HMPPS is that this isn’t the first time that a Government minister has made inaccurate statements about ECSL.
In what seems to be the most recent written Ministerial Statement on ECSL, dated the 11th of March 2024, – https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-03-11/hcws332 – Alex Chalk (Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice) made these comments.
“We will also extend the existing end of custody supervised licence measure to around 35-60 days.”
“This will only be for certain low level offenders.”Napo believe the truth is being stretched beyond breaking point on the question of whether “around…35-60 days” covers the Government’s recent extension of ECSL to 70 days. Of even greater concern is the outrageous claim the scheme is restricted only to a select group of “low level offenders”. Again, on this latter point, Napo members across England and Wales have first-hand experience that this simply isn’t true – and has never been the case – and that HMPPS senior leaders, at HQ as well as in each Probation Region and Prison Group, know this just as well as we do.
HMPPS is quick to threaten its workforce with the consequences of breaches of the Civil Service Code (The Civil Service code – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)), and all too often bend over backwards to spuriously include it in disciplinary allegations against individual members of staff. The question from Napo for HMPPS senior leaders is, in line with the Code and its expectations on ‘honesty’ and ‘integrity’, what they’ve done to make clear to these Ministers they’ve misled Parliament and the public about the ECSL scheme? Unless they act – evidenced by the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor going on to correct the Parliamentary record – this looks a lot like yet another case of HMPPS having one set of rules for front-line staff and another for its senior leaders.
Next steps in our campaign
Napo continues to maintain contact with figures in Parliament and the media as we’ve set out in previous mailouts about ECSL, as well as having ongoing meetings with HMPPS on the issue. Yesterday the Napo General Secretary was interviewed by Sky News who have afforded extensive coverage of the Prisons crisis see the interview here.
It remains vital for members to continue to keep us updated with their experiences of this ECSL – without including confidential or sensitive information on the individuals released under the scheme – as we have used these in the work Napo has undertaken in publicising our concerns. We want to again extend our thanks to members who have been in contact with us to this point, it’s very much appreciated.
Please contact your Link Officials and Officers or use the following email address if you want to share any of these experiences with us as your trade union representatives info@napo.org.uk
I watched Ian Lawrence on the news last week. He did not say all that. He gave hardly any detail. He was asked about Sunak’s dishonesty and said so little I had to double check it was Ian Lawrence and not someone who worked for Sunsk’s cabinet.
ReplyDelete“Our members”, “our members”, our members” was all you could hear. Even the newscaster wasn’t clear who “our members” were. He failed to link in the abysmal changes affecting this too, the changes to recalls and Probation Reset.
There’s little point waving the sabre in the Napo magazine to dwindling Napo members when he just threw away a big opportunity to tell the entire country the truth on prime time news!!!!
Tip for the Napo General Secretary: Stand in front of the mirror and practice the words “Probation Officer” and “Probation Service”.
Yes I agree and it's substance that counts. I think styles are are part of what intelligent probation needs unless it it's the dry wit of Mick lynch arguing for 100k for train drivers Lawrence has little capacity to ask for better pay for people in jail. However he is bleating for a meeting to talk to Tory ministers who have only a few months in power what a fool the parliamentary timetable is already gone. What he should have been saying is we are now looking to labour who are listening with concern passion and ready to show the lacklustre Tories up for their shameful attacks in society. He should have a meeting with the Tories is pointless as they are not able to reflect what's needed after grayling destroyed the gold standards we once operated . Lawrence does not appear a gs of high skill or well briefed his capacities for this role have to be looked at don't they .
DeleteIt’s very likely that he did but as you know. Video clips get edited
DeleteCannot call sunk sunak a liar if you ask if he was misinformed. Get the allegation right in the first place before making such a claim .
ReplyDeleteI see some poetic justice here, I was lied to and gaslighted by probation for the nigh on two years I was subjected to your tender mercies. Not nice is it.
ReplyDeletesox
Scottish prisons are also bursting at the seems. It appears they are following England and Wales and are about to release prisoners early.
ReplyDeleteThey do however seem a lot clearer on the criteria to be applied then the MoJ.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/prison-population-information-note/
'Getafix
Here’s an idea let’s have NAPOs press officer / communications manager write to the letters page of newspapers what the truth is and contrast this with the PMs errors or deliberate lies. That should do!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the problem? He represents the union's members, he doesn't represent all Probation Officers, let alone the entire Probation Service. Absolutely nothing wrong with his terminology.
ReplyDeleteOnce they're happy with 70 days.... what's next....?
ReplyDeleteHow to make a fortune out of others' misfortunes:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.aol.co.uk/money/british-asylum-housing-tycoon-breaks-070032774.html
Graham King, the founder and majority owner of a business empire that includes Clearsprings Ready Homes, which won a 10-year Home Office contract for housing thousands of asylum seekers, is estimated to have amassed a £750m fortune from “holiday parks, inheritance and housing asylum seekers for the government”. Clearsprings Ready Homes made £62.5m in profits after tax for the year ending January 2023, more than double its profits of £28m the previous year.
Ranked 221st, King is one of several new entries to the 2024 rich list alongside the Formula One driver Sir Lewis Hamilton and Tony and Cherie Blair’s son Euan, whose apprenticeship firm Multiverse is said to be worth £1.4bn.
Meanwhile the personal fortune of Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, has increased by £120m to an estimated £651m in the run-up to the next general election, the list reveals.