Probation union Napo is anticipating that a BBC investigation
into probation services in England and Wales will confirm many of
the serious concerns its members have voiced over the past three
years.
Documentary makers interviewed a range of stakeholders directly
involved with or impacted by the probation service since it was
part-privatised in 2014. Napo campaigned tirelessly against the
“Transforming Rehabilitation” policy on the basis that it was
rushed, non-evidenced based and had a deeply flawed operating
model that would put both service users and communities at risk.
Since privatisation, Her Majesties Inspectorate for Probation
(HMIP) has published numerous reports criticising service
delivery in the new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and
National Probation Service (NPS).
Ian Lawrence, Napo’s General Secretary who was interviewed by
programme makers said: "In 2011 the probation service won a
European Gold Award for excellence. It is shocking that in just a
few years an ill thought through social experiment now sees the
majority of the service failing on every level.
“CRCs are struggling to deliver even a basic service to their
communities and the taxpayer let alone the service users who
should be the central focus of probation. Serious questions now
need to be asked and urgent action taken to ensure that we have a
functioning probation service that can once again be seen as a
world leader."
The programme, scheduled to air Wednesday 25 October, follows the
Justice Select Committee’s announcement on 13 October that it
will be conducting a full inquiry into probation. Napo welcomes
this move believing the service should be transparent, open to
both public, parliamentary and media scrutiny and should be
brought back under public control to ensure local communities and
victims are best served.
Ian Lawrence said: "There is no accountability at the moment.
CRCs are answerable to their shareholders not the communities
they should be serving. Transforming Rehabilitation has not met
the ideological outcomes it was intended to deliver and indeed in
many cases has in fact had the opposite effect on reducing
reoffending, and promoting innovation and quality. Our members
are now bearing the brunt of this awful policy with massive job
cuts, dangerously high workloads and poor working conditions –
all of which have a direct impact on protecting the public."
Napo met with the Minister on 24 October and will be
providing evidence to the Select committee later this month.
