With Napo members considering how to vote in relation to possible industrial action, I note this from Napo magazine:-
FTR48: A Reckless Gamble with Public Safety – And One More Reason to Vote ‘Yes’
The FTR48 scheme will see thousands of prisoners released early, despite known risks – and pile yet more work onto already overstretched Probation staff. Napo urges members to vote ‘Yes’ in the industrial action ballot to demand safe workloads and fair pay.
Napo’s members need to vote in the current ballot on industrial action on pay and workloads, saying ‘Yes’ to both options on industrial action. If members needed any further reason to do this then think about the FTR48 scheme – the huge expansion of fixed term recalls – that will see the imminent release of thousands of prisoners under the Government’s latest decision to sacrifice public safety for Prison beds.
FTR48 Means Huge Workload Increases
The Government has changed the law only because it needs to take desperate measures to reduce Prison overcrowding. Members considering their vote on the ballot on industrial action should contrast this with the abject failure of HMPPS to take any meaningful action on excessive Probation workloads. They should also consider how quickly the Government found billions to pay private companies to build and run new prisons but have been unable to find the much smaller sum required to meet the claims of Napo and other unions to pay Probation staff a decent wage.
When this comes into force from the first week of September the ‘FTR48’ scheme will see several thousand currently recalled prisoners start to be released over the following weeks. In addition, people being recalled from that point who would previously have been subject to a standard recall will now fall into this scheme. The thousands of hours of additional work this will transfer to Probation staff in the community has already begun to take effect – the latest example of an unprecedented, and apparently never-ending, increase in work we’ve been subject to from the various schemes introduced to try to reduce Prison overcrowding. Staff in the community are being forced to compress pre-release work that should be done over months into just a few weeks, all during a time of increased staff leave.
FTR48 – A Reckless and Dangerous Gamble
Napo continues to oppose the FTR48 scheme as a reckless and dangerous gamble with public safety. In the interests of trying to free up hundreds of Prison spaces the Government has chosen not to exclude people who are assessed as posing a high risk to others or those serving sentences for committing sexual, domestic abuse and stalking offences. All of those included in this scheme have, to have been recalled in the first place, been subject to an assessment by Probation workers that concluded the risk these individuals posed to others was such that they could not be managed in the community. Where previously they would have been subject to a Standard Recall, involving a much more robust risk assessment and management process in the months after recall involving Probation workers and the Parole Board, now they will be automatically re-released, regardless of any existing risk assessment.
For these reasons it remains Napo’s position the FTR48 scheme will increase Serious Further Offences committed by, and the numbers of recalls of, people subject to Probation supervision who would previously have remained in custody. The Government, and HMPPS, had other options available to it to reduce the numbers of people being recalled to custody. It could have implemented changes to the threshold for recall – for example bringing this in line with that in place for others released on licence, such as indeterminate sentenced prisoners – or undertaken a more wide-ranging change to the culture of fear and individual practitioner blame it promotes. It chose FTR48 instead.
Next Steps
We urge Napo members to vote in the current ballot on industrial action on pay and workloads, and to say ‘Yes’ to both options on industrial action. This is the only realistic remaining option to members to demonstrate the strength of feeling, and our commitment to force our employer to change course, on achieving a decent pay rise and safe workloads for all. Unfortunately, FTR48 isn’t the only reason for members to vote for industrial action in the current ballot, it’s just the latest example of the failure of the Government and HMPPS to think about when casting your vote.
FTR48: A Reckless Gamble with Public Safety – And One More Reason to Vote ‘Yes’
The FTR48 scheme will see thousands of prisoners released early, despite known risks – and pile yet more work onto already overstretched Probation staff. Napo urges members to vote ‘Yes’ in the industrial action ballot to demand safe workloads and fair pay.
Napo’s members need to vote in the current ballot on industrial action on pay and workloads, saying ‘Yes’ to both options on industrial action. If members needed any further reason to do this then think about the FTR48 scheme – the huge expansion of fixed term recalls – that will see the imminent release of thousands of prisoners under the Government’s latest decision to sacrifice public safety for Prison beds.
FTR48 Means Huge Workload Increases
The Government has changed the law only because it needs to take desperate measures to reduce Prison overcrowding. Members considering their vote on the ballot on industrial action should contrast this with the abject failure of HMPPS to take any meaningful action on excessive Probation workloads. They should also consider how quickly the Government found billions to pay private companies to build and run new prisons but have been unable to find the much smaller sum required to meet the claims of Napo and other unions to pay Probation staff a decent wage.
When this comes into force from the first week of September the ‘FTR48’ scheme will see several thousand currently recalled prisoners start to be released over the following weeks. In addition, people being recalled from that point who would previously have been subject to a standard recall will now fall into this scheme. The thousands of hours of additional work this will transfer to Probation staff in the community has already begun to take effect – the latest example of an unprecedented, and apparently never-ending, increase in work we’ve been subject to from the various schemes introduced to try to reduce Prison overcrowding. Staff in the community are being forced to compress pre-release work that should be done over months into just a few weeks, all during a time of increased staff leave.
FTR48 – A Reckless and Dangerous Gamble
Napo continues to oppose the FTR48 scheme as a reckless and dangerous gamble with public safety. In the interests of trying to free up hundreds of Prison spaces the Government has chosen not to exclude people who are assessed as posing a high risk to others or those serving sentences for committing sexual, domestic abuse and stalking offences. All of those included in this scheme have, to have been recalled in the first place, been subject to an assessment by Probation workers that concluded the risk these individuals posed to others was such that they could not be managed in the community. Where previously they would have been subject to a Standard Recall, involving a much more robust risk assessment and management process in the months after recall involving Probation workers and the Parole Board, now they will be automatically re-released, regardless of any existing risk assessment.
For these reasons it remains Napo’s position the FTR48 scheme will increase Serious Further Offences committed by, and the numbers of recalls of, people subject to Probation supervision who would previously have remained in custody. The Government, and HMPPS, had other options available to it to reduce the numbers of people being recalled to custody. It could have implemented changes to the threshold for recall – for example bringing this in line with that in place for others released on licence, such as indeterminate sentenced prisoners – or undertaken a more wide-ranging change to the culture of fear and individual practitioner blame it promotes. It chose FTR48 instead.
Next Steps
We urge Napo members to vote in the current ballot on industrial action on pay and workloads, and to say ‘Yes’ to both options on industrial action. This is the only realistic remaining option to members to demonstrate the strength of feeling, and our commitment to force our employer to change course, on achieving a decent pay rise and safe workloads for all. Unfortunately, FTR48 isn’t the only reason for members to vote for industrial action in the current ballot, it’s just the latest example of the failure of the Government and HMPPS to think about when casting your vote.
Napo HQ
Napo has previously commented on the planned expansion of the eligibility for Fixed Term Recall after it was initially announced – Latest increase in Probation workload to address Prison overcrowding provokes outrage – NAPO Magazine.
Latest increase in Probation workload to address Prison overcrowding provokes outrage
Napo members have reacted with anger to Wednesday’s announcement by the Government on changes to the Fixed Term Recall process. This will effectively significantly increase the numbers of people who will now be automatically re-released 28 days after being recalled, where previously they would have been subject to a Standard Recall, involving a much more robust risk assessment and management process in the months after recall.
Changes To Fixed Term Recall Risk Public Safety
On the details provided so far it appears only very limited exclusions will be in place, meaning that large numbers of people who have committed sexual, domestic abuse and stalking offences will be subject to Fixed Term Recalls. All this despite a decision having been taken just 4 weeks before that the risk these individuals posed to others was such that they could not be managed in the community and should be returned to custody. Napo’s view is that, along with the person committing any further offence, the Government will share responsibility for the deaths and serious injury that will be caused to members of the public by those re-released early following this change.
This change has attempted to have been justified by the increase in the proportion of those in prison following recall. No mention is made of the leading role played by HMPPS over recent years in promoting the use of recall, including the climate of fear and blame created in their approach to Serious Further Offences. If it wanted to take responsibility for addressing the numbers of people recalled to custody each year the Government could have considered the immediate implementation of changes to the threshold for recall, for example bringing this in line with that in place for others released on licence, such as indeterminate sentenced prisoners.
Napo calls on the Government to urgently change course following this announcement, and to listen carefully to the range of opposition to this plan.
What This Means For Pay And Workloads
From the point where Napo representatives were informed about this change, just over three hours before the announcement was made, we have made our position clear.
We have made clear that again the Government has prioritised Prisons overcrowding over Probation workload, seeming able to find billions to expand the Prison estate as well as producing legislation in short order.
Our members are past breaking point with the approach of this Government and its treatment of the Probation Service and its workforce.
We expect the Government to find the money to meet our current pay claim in full and to instruct HMPPS to respond more positively to the workload relief demands that Napo and the other trade unions have made. If the Government can find billions to engage in the spectacle of prison-building it can find the millions required to improve the pay of Probation staff who have, by Minister’s own accounts, saved the criminal justice system from collapse by implementing various early release schemes over recent years.
Napo remains in a trade dispute with the employer on the twin issues of pay and workloads. Unless significant progress is made on both fronts in the next few weeks members will be left with no course of action but to progress the options available to us in terms of industrial action to force them to change their approach to us.
Changes To Fixed Term Recall Risk Public Safety
On the details provided so far it appears only very limited exclusions will be in place, meaning that large numbers of people who have committed sexual, domestic abuse and stalking offences will be subject to Fixed Term Recalls. All this despite a decision having been taken just 4 weeks before that the risk these individuals posed to others was such that they could not be managed in the community and should be returned to custody. Napo’s view is that, along with the person committing any further offence, the Government will share responsibility for the deaths and serious injury that will be caused to members of the public by those re-released early following this change.
This change has attempted to have been justified by the increase in the proportion of those in prison following recall. No mention is made of the leading role played by HMPPS over recent years in promoting the use of recall, including the climate of fear and blame created in their approach to Serious Further Offences. If it wanted to take responsibility for addressing the numbers of people recalled to custody each year the Government could have considered the immediate implementation of changes to the threshold for recall, for example bringing this in line with that in place for others released on licence, such as indeterminate sentenced prisoners.
Napo calls on the Government to urgently change course following this announcement, and to listen carefully to the range of opposition to this plan.
What This Means For Pay And Workloads
From the point where Napo representatives were informed about this change, just over three hours before the announcement was made, we have made our position clear.
We have made clear that again the Government has prioritised Prisons overcrowding over Probation workload, seeming able to find billions to expand the Prison estate as well as producing legislation in short order.
Our members are past breaking point with the approach of this Government and its treatment of the Probation Service and its workforce.
We expect the Government to find the money to meet our current pay claim in full and to instruct HMPPS to respond more positively to the workload relief demands that Napo and the other trade unions have made. If the Government can find billions to engage in the spectacle of prison-building it can find the millions required to improve the pay of Probation staff who have, by Minister’s own accounts, saved the criminal justice system from collapse by implementing various early release schemes over recent years.
Napo remains in a trade dispute with the employer on the twin issues of pay and workloads. Unless significant progress is made on both fronts in the next few weeks members will be left with no course of action but to progress the options available to us in terms of industrial action to force them to change their approach to us.
Napo HQ
--oo00oo--
I notice the piece generated this comment:-
it'll be okay, the govt has a plan to free up 12% of our prison places taken up by pesky foreigners:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn72dknzepjo
"Foreign criminals will face immediate deportation after receiving a custodial sentence, under new plans announced by the justice secretary.
Under the proposals, those who are given fixed-term sentences could be deported straight away and would be barred from re-entering the UK.
Foreign offenders make up around 12% percent of the prison population, with prison places costing £54,000 a year on average, according to the government."
And the benefit?
"It says the new powers would save money for British taxpayers and protect the public."
Hurrah!
"with prison places costing £54,000 a year on average... as of January 2024, there were about 10,400 foreign nationals in the prison system."
£561,600,000 (half a billion) a year saved?
Phew! that might help recover some of the taxpayer cash they spent on thousands of police arresting hundreds of elderly & disabled holding bits of paper in London this weekend.
Or the £7billion+ spent trying to cover up the "send to all" email by a UK govt official which placed thousands of Afghans lives at immediate risk.
Or "The Ministry's attempt to stabilise the contracts, and its decision to terminate them in December 2020 - 14 months early - will cost the taxpayer an additional £467 million."
Foreign criminals will face immediate deportation after receiving a custodial sentence, under new plans announced by the justice secretary.
DeleteUnder the proposals, those who are given fixed-term sentences could be deported straight away and would be barred from re-entering the UK.
The decision over whether they go on to serve their sentences abroad would be up to the country they are sent to, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) told the BBC. In theory, this means that some criminals may be able to walk free upon arrival in their destination country.
Foreign offenders make up around 12% percent of the prison population, with prison places costing £54,000 a year on average, according to the government.
It says the new powers would save money for British taxpayers and protect the public.
Those serving life sentences, such as terrorists and murderers, will serve their full prison sentence in the UK before being considered for deportation, it said.
Once a custodial sentence is handed down by a judge, the decision over whether someone will be deported will fall to a prison governor, the MoJ said.
Authorities would retain the power to keep criminals in custody if, for example, they were planning further crimes against the UK's interests or were seen as a danger to national security.
The MoJ told the BBC that its definition of a foreign national is based on the conditions laid out in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act.
If passed, the new powers could be applied to those already in prison, meaning the government could begin deportations immediately. As of January 2024, there were about 10,400 foreign nationals in the prison system.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that foreign criminals would be sent "packing" if they "abuse our hospitality and break our laws".
"This government is taking radical action to deport foreign criminals, as part of our Plan for Change. Deportations are up under this government, and with this new law they will happen earlier and faster than ever before," she said.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the plans, warning that some countries may refuse to take in those who are deported.
"If countries won't take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn't working," he said.
The announcement comes after a tweak in the law in June, expected to come into force in September, meaning prisoners would face deportation 30% into their prison sentence rather than the current 50%.
The government will now need Parliament to greenlight its proposal to bring this down further to 0%.
Work based in a PDU has always been the busiest, most diverse and demanding, requiring the most elements and yet has always been under resourced compared with other functions. The time for reflective practise and planning in PDU’s is none existent. So much time is eaten into the day job attending meetings to understanding new processes, and then reading the multiple documents for each new initiative aside from the time already taken for the day job. I admire every single person in that role, it is indeed a tough one.
ReplyDeleteAnd total crickets from Unison.
ReplyDeletehttps://news.sky.com/story/electronic-tags-and-tougher-unpaid-work-will-reduce-prison-overcrowding-govt-claims-13409495
ReplyDeleteIncreases in the use of electronic tagging and "toughening up" unpaid work will help reduce prison overcrowding, according to the Ministry of Justice.
DeleteThe independent review of the current sentencing framework published in February called for an increased focus on utilising punishment outside of prison to reduce reoffending, freeing up capacity in jails.
In response, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she's determined to toughen community punishment - and make sure unpaid work truly pays back communities harmed by crime.
The work done by offenders at the Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough is certainly tough.
A group of low to medium-risk offenders have been sent to help re-lay track for the charity that runs the heritage railway, famous for being home to the engine that inspired Rev W Awdry's Thomas The Tank Engine.
"We've been working with the probation service for over 20 years," says Michael Purcell, chair of the Nene Valley Railway.
"Most of the work here is done by volunteers, and many of them are quite old.
"So to have a team of younger workers that can come here and do the physical work under an experienced supervisor as a community service is massively helpful to us."
Visually, there are echoes of the prison chain gangs of old. But the hard labour involved in this unpaid work is very much a part of contemporary plans to reduce reoffending.
The Ministry of Justice says its analysis indicates that community-based sentences are more effective at reducing reoffending than custodial sentences lasting under a year.
Supervising the work on the railway is Michael Barry, who believes the hard work gives the offenders on the programme a feeling of achievement.
"You do notice that the men and women who come to work here don't tend to come back," Mr Berry explains.
"I've been supervising groups here for 20 years, and many of the offenders who have worked here seem to have gone back to working.
"So I do believe it helps people return to work after offending."
The MoJ says being tough on crime means always having the prison capacity to incarcerate the most dangerous offenders.
And it says that as well as "toughening up" unpaid work, probation funding will be increased by up to £700m (nearly 45%), allowing it to "substantially boost" the number of offenders on electronic monitoring.
The MoJ has also said an increase in the use of curfews and exclusion zones, where offenders are prohibited from visiting certain areas, will help reduce prison overcrowding.
A spokesperson added: "Offenders should be made to give back to the communities they've harmed. That is why we are toughening up unpaid work as a punishment so it can continue to act as a deterrent and make our streets safer.
"Projects like Nene Valley are a great example of how hard work ensures offenders pay for their crimes. We want to see more projects like this and are talking with councils and businesses to put more offenders to work."
BBC News website:-
ReplyDeleteA prison probation officer who posed a "significant risk to prison security" by failing to mention her relationship with a prisoner when she got the job has been sentenced.
Leonie Wilkinson, 27, did not disclose any conflicts of interest when she applied for the role at HMP Preston or during her vetting period, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) said.
Her relationship with prisoner Gary Hampson, which began in 2018, was uncovered after a mobile phone found in his cell showed the pair had called, emailed and messaged each other.
Wilkinson, who pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Det Insp Brian Morley, of NWROCU, said: "Wilkinson's actions represented a serious breach of trust and undermined the integrity of the criminal justice system."
Wilkinson was also sentenced for offences including unauthorised access to a computer and encouraging the possession of a mobile device.
Hampson, 26, was handed six months' imprisonment to run consecutively with his existing sentence after admitting encouraging misconduct in a public office and possessing an unauthorised mobile phone in prison.
Smuggling contraband
The sentencing followed an investigation into her misconduct while employed at HMP Preston, which she started working at in 2020.
Her vetting for the role was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, by which time Wilkinson, of Preston, had already completed her training and failed to declare any conflicts of interest.
But in April 2021, Wilkinson told her line manager she knew prisoner Gary Hampson and one of his relatives, citing a family connection, the NWROCU said.
She claimed to have submitted a conflict of interest report but records show she only declared a connection to another prisoner and no formal disclosure was made regarding Hampson and his relative.
A month later, reports surfaced alleging a corrupt probation officer was smuggling contraband into HMP Preston.
A subsequent investigation revealed Wilkinson was in a relationship with Hampson, a continuation of a prior relationship and had visited him in prison in January 2018.
She had also been listed as a friend of two other inmates.
A mobile phone seized from Hampson's cell showed messages between Wilkinson and Hampson, while a card sent online by the officer to the prisoner was also found.
A couple of observations if I may, first the inclusion of sex offenders is very sensible as that cohort has one of the lowest recividism rates. You can't see past your own prejudices when it comes to SO's and using them to appeal to public sympathy just stokes that prejudice further.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the rate of recalls, which have reached absurd levels, was always going to come back to bite your backsides. The fact that you use tools to assess risk that by your own admission are all but useless suggests probation got many of those decisions wrong, the majority of them in fact.
I don't blame probation for this per se, it's on the politicians wanting to appear 'tuff on crime innit' but I also accept some will have abused that power because some always will.
sox
To the exprogrammes facilitator who wants to reduce their hours don't bother. I'm a part time PO and it's more stressful than if I worked full time.
ReplyDeleteProgrammes, unpaid work, courts, admin, they don’t hold a caseload so it’s not the same. The most severe impact of overwork falls on probation officers and pso’s who hold and manage caseloads, where the responsibility, risk, and emotional toll are significantly greater.
DeleteThere no extra provision for accommodation, employment and healthcare either. The current realities of caseloads, under-staffing, burnout, morale, and safety concerns the barrage of glossy recruitment adverts we’re seeing are tone-deaf at best.
ReplyDelete“It’s very rewarding when people do succeed. You really do feel that you’ve made a difference.”
“The Probation Service offers a challenging but incredibly rewarding career where you can make a genuine difference to public safety and individual lives.”
https://www.yourharlow.com/2025/08/06/young-essex-probation-officer-calls-on-the-next-generation-to-join-her-in-public-service/
As a VLO I absolutely share these concerns. I’ve got 5 repeat DA perpetrators due out on 2nd September - they are SFOs waiting to happen. Victims have been extremely hard hit with all the chaos over the past 18 months with all the emphasis on reducing the prison population. I’ve never known a worse time.
ReplyDeleteWith the proposals to immediately remove FNOs, there will be further upset, anger, devastation, and disillusionment in the CJS. Victims, quite rightly, expect offenders to serve their punishment in prison when a custodial sentence is passed. They’re often upset enough all ready with the current arrangements where they can be released early, back to their own countries as free men/women. This can include rapists, child abuses and death by dangerous driving. I don’t think the public have any understanding that deported offenders don’t typically serve their punishment/remainder of their sentences in their home country. Changing the legislation to allow immediate deportation is a huge slap in the face for victims, having gone through the stress and upset of a police investigation and court process - all the told that their offender will simply be returned home. I can’t help but feel that this new legislation will leave the door wide open for FNOs to come to this country with the intention of offending, knowing that IF they are caught they’re just likely to be put on a flight home.
The MoJ has completely lost all sight of putting victims at the heart of the CJS.
Don't mean to denigrate your role which is, in a different way just as vital, but you haven't got 5 DA perps coming out, the PO or PSO does and they are ones who will be expected to do the extra work with the persons and will be blamed if anything goes wrong.
DeleteTone deaf doesn’t even begin to cover it. The MoJ and HMPPS simply don’t listen to their staff. The people designing policies and making the big decisions are so far removed from the frontline it’s almost laughable. My head in hands in despair I’ve just watched the news about deporting foreign national prisoners, electronic tags, and ‘tougher’ unpaid work, all to achieve the only thing they seem to care about: reducing prison overcrowding.
ReplyDeleteThey have no insight into the causes of offending and imprisonment. Just as with the all these probation officer recruitment campaigns peppered with young white middle-class female graduates claiming to ‘make a difference’ or represent diverse communities, it’s so out of touch they might as well rip up the half-baked, back-of-a-fag-packet blueprints, wait for ChatGPT-5, and just do what the computer says. Forget waiting for “probation leaders” to say anything above the parapet.
All we ever ask for is simple: fairer pay, better access to support services for the ‘PiPs’ and ‘PoPs’, legislation to make it happen, give probation some credibility instead of running it into the ground as an overflow tank for the prison service, and to stop being forced into pointless, performance-driven, civil service tick-box practices that don’t work.
There’s been a lot on here recently about staff-led initiatives and recommendations, but the reality is stark no matter what we think, feel or say. I came across this comment on one of the recent Napo articles by a fellow probation officer, and it sums it up where we are perfectly.
“…it will likely be overlooked by probation services, HMPPS, and much of the academic establishment.”
https://napomagazine.org.uk/the-concept-of-professionalism-in-probation-a-view-from-the-frontline/
I’ve got nothing against white, middle-class females or graduates training as POs, but we do need a broader range of backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Right now, everyone tends to look and think the same. At 26, fresh out of university, how much real insight can most have into offending or the causes of crime? Selling probation as a “career protecting the public while supporting rehabilitation” doesn’t help either, it’s vague to the point of meaning very little.
DeleteThe only positive of being a civil servant is that you can transfer across to another department relatively easily.
ReplyDeleteHave a look on Civil Service Jobs for example.
Better pay, work only contracted hours, proper meal breaks etc.
Goodwill is dead, it is a one way street. Look after yourself and get out!
one less to worry about
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce832md2pjdo
Appeal as murderer fails to return to open prison
All I can see happening from these proposals is the recall rate rocketing, which will hardly ease the pressures on the prison population.
ReplyDeleteThere is just TOO MANY PEOPLE being shoved through the probation service.
Increasing the probation capacity is not going to reduce the prison population.
The focus needs to be about how best remove people from the criminal justice revolving door system, and not looking at how best to accommodate them within it.
'Getafix
'That shit ain't helping no-one "
DeleteIt from the USA, but this article describes exactly (to my mind anyway) just what's wrong in our own criminal justice system.
I particularly like the phrase
"Parole and probation pipeline" when talking about the routes into custody.
https://theconversation.com/the-never-ending-sentence-how-parole-and-probation-fuel-mass-incarceration-250578
'Getafix
Getting rid of PSS would be a start
DeleteDon't start that incarceration has been our national revenge since the first stone circle castle. The Victorians loved it probation loves it .managing high risk mantra keeping public safe the dangerous offender terms. Domestic abuse violence all the jingle titles released prisoner ex con lay it on probation offices meet and manage these titles labels because we are so skilled dedicated tosh. With the jailed probation has no role. In all cases more prisons grows the industry doesn't it. Lovely for serco securicor G4S building locking and transporting let's have more jails less probation .
DeleteAnd that’s exactly why they need to listen to the right people, whether the focus is on getting people out of the criminal justice revolving door, finding better ways to accommodate them within it, or preventing them from entering it in the first place.
DeleteI’m sick to death of seeing people who haven’t been near a probation office or held a caseload in years, if ever, dictating, designing, and inspecting what probation does. It’s demoralising for those that are there every day, making them feel frustrated and inadequate.
Many of are proud to be probation officers, working daily alongside those on probation, with colleagues and services in every imaginable context. Real probation work. Real challenges.
Those delivering day in, day out deserve support, not endless criticism or the constant barrage of being done to. They don’t need people far removed from the frontline endlessly telling them what to do, constantly rewriting the rules, and never once genuinely asking for, let alone using, the insight of those actually doing the job.
Probation officers are all aiming for the same thing: helping people change for the better, overcome struggles, and live offence-free lives. It should be a network of encouragement and collaboration, not a hierarchy of managers and ministers in their ivory towers, academics in their cosy libraries, think-tanks detached from reality, or even certain ex-offenders with lived experience who’d rather take shots at probation officers than try to understand what’s really happening.
Because in the end, experience on the ground matters just as much as what’s on paper. I remember when probation was full of people who had a voice and spoke for probation, some were legendary, challenging senior management and ministers alike. Until we get back to that, until we have a less demoralised or docile workforce, until we have genuine leaders who know what probation is, or should be, until those in charge truly listen to the frontline, then nothing will really change. Because if we did, much of these policies wouldn’t pass quality control.
It has been a some years since I last visited Probation Matters Blogspot. I was a regular contributor back when Probation had been largely privatised, a mistake of such enormity I am surprised noone has ever really been held to account. Some points to touch upon that struck me from reading some of the comments. OASys still an issue. Pay still an issue. Prison overcrowding still an issue. Probation workloads still an issue. Diversity and background of Probation staff still an issue. And so on. It really was better in the past as I remember, particularly protected workloads. There was a time when OASys was imagined as a tool to help probation professionals and not something that consumed an unsustainable and huge amount of time such that it almost became the job itself. Regards pay, it looks to me that Probation pay suffered a supercharged level of austerity measure and then some. The political ramping up of tough on crime message, always popular when looking to garner some votes, is now being supercharged by new kids on the block Reform. Other parties will follow and prison population and early release schemes will doubtless increase accordingly. Regards professional diversity, I became a Trainee Probation Officer, a rare male recruit, around the millennium without a first degree just bags of committment and some ability. I was ever grateful for the opportunity and did not disappoint, by my own say I did some very good work in MY local community. Keep on keeping on battling for your profession, it really matters. All the best
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygyvy1e7yo
ReplyDeleteA man has been charged with attempted murder after a probation officer was stabbed at work.
DeleteLancashire Police said a woman in her 30s was treated for stab wounds in hospital following the attack at The Pavilions in Ashton, Preston, at 14:30 BST on Tuesday.
Ryan Gee, 35 and of no fixed address, is due before Preston Magistrates' Court, accused of attempted murder, threatening a person with an offensive weapon/bladed article in a private place, two counts of possessing a knife blade in a public place, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and false imprisonment.
A police spokesman said the injured woman was in a stable condition in hospital.
I hadn't realised how many of the much-loved 'honours' dished out to the 'great & good' have been revoked after being tarnished by the various abusive behaviours of recipients - predominantly sexual & financial; many targetted children &/or vulnerable victims. It doesn't say much for the term 'honour'.
ReplyDeleteThis is the list of 33 to date from the last two years alone:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individuals-whose-honours-have-been-revoked-by-the-sovereign/list-of-individuals-who-have-forfeited-their-honour-since-august-2023
https://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/news/north-yorkshire/news/court-results/2023/06-june/ex-charity-trustee-with-handed-suspended-sentence-for-fraud/
DeleteAn ex-charity trustee has today been handed a 33-week sentence, suspended for 12 months after he admitted to committing fraud while he oversaw a privatised probation organisation which received money from the public purse.
Hugh Morgan Williams took £26,966 the from Durham and Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company (DTVCRC) while he was interim chairman.
Morgan Williams used personal contacts with a private company he had links to, to procure contracts for DTVCRC and took ten percent of the contract value for his own personal use without the knowledge of the board.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees
ReplyDeleteHonours committees are made up of senior civil servants (‘official members’) and people who are independent of government (‘independent members’).
Who might we find on the Honours Main Committee?
* The Cabinet Secretary - delegated attendance to Dame Antonia Romeo DCB
Offical Members For State Committee:
* Dame Antonia Romeo DCB - Permanent Secretary, Home Office
Official Members For Public Service Committee:
* Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-restriction-zones-to-boost-protection-for-victims
ReplyDeleteNew restriction zones will curb the freedoms of the most serious sexual and violent offenders by ‘locking’ them into specific areas where necessary.
‘Restriction zones’ to lock offenders – not their victims - into specific areas
Breaches, when boundaries are crossed, could result in prison recall [more prisoners!]
Move part of Plan for Change to boost protection for victims and make our streets safer
Plus some random justice data in the "Justice in Numbers Pocketbook: 01 August 2025"
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688c7decd8da16bcb8469594/JiN_Pocketbook_2025-08-01.pdf
And those all important annual stats
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-annual-update-to-march-2025/community-performance-annual-update-to-march-2025
* only 2 of 12 regions are operating at a ‘good’ level, all other regions are rated as either ‘requiring improvement’ or ‘inadequate’.
* On a national level, performance of 7 of 27 probation service levels met target or were better
* 241,540 offenders under probation supervision as at 31 March 2025
The Annual Prison Performance Ratings 2024/25 report presents an official assessment of prisons across England and Wales for the performance year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
* There has been a decrease in the proportion of prisons rated as outstanding since 2023/24
* There was an increase in the proportion of prisons rated as serious concern compared to 2023/24
HMPPS Annual Digest 2024/25
* Number of escapes has increased
* 25% of prisoners were in crowded conditions
* Barricade/prevention of access incidents and incidents at height increased
* Finds of drugs, weapons and mobile phones increased
* The proportion of prisoners with Enhanced (Initial) incentive status decreased
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/violent-criminals-denied-freedom-apparent-190000134.html
ReplyDelete"Around 700 further dangerous criminals have been denied release from jail in an apparent toughening of approach by the Parole Board.
Official data show that three-quarters of prisoners who sought parole in 2024/25 had their applications rejected – the highest proportion for at least five years.
It represents an equivalent increase of 700 in the number of prisoners who would otherwise have been previously freed from jail.
The Parole Board is a quasi-judicial body responsible for deciding whether prisoners serving a life sentence or imprisonment for public protection can safely be released at the end of their “tariff”, the minimum period in custody set by the trial judge.
It also decides whether fixed-term prisoners who have been recalled to prison for breaching their licence conditions are safe to re-release.
Of the 17,165 decisions made by the Parole Board in 2024/25, 3,872 (23 per cent) were to release the prisoner, 501 (three per cent) were to recommend a transfer to open conditions, and 12,790 (75 per cent) were that he or she should remain in custody, according to the figures first revealed by Inside Time, the prisoners’ magazine.
The Parole Board has come under pressure from successive justice secretaries to take a tougher approach.
A solicitor who specialises in parole cases suggested the “crumbling” probation service could also be to blame, as parole panels might be sceptical that there was adequate supervision in the community.
A shortage of places on offending behaviour programmes in prisons could mean prisoners appearing before parole panels without having completed courses seen as essential to lower the risk they pose."
‘The Parole Board has come under pressure from successive justice secretaries to take a tougher approach’ the irony is, it doesn’t matter now for those serving under 4 years, because they will be released under FTR48 anyway!!
DeleteEverything is one startlingly massive mess at the moment and has been since the start of all these early release changes! Only good for the prisoner, the poor victims are getting no justice and must be terrified, Probation staff are being dumped on once again. Less work for the Parole Board though!
I genuinely do not know just how much more Probation staff can take and if they think all this extended tagging and exclusion zones is going to work or help, they are in for a rude awakening, because it already doesn’t work from tags not being fitted, to equipment not working, to having no EMS staff to visit and fit/check equipment, to not being notified of breaches, to the unreadable location tracking maps, the list goes on…. and you guessed it ……. it’s the Probation staff who have to deal with all this too!