Home Up Feedback Contents Search Consultancy

                        

 

Home Up Campaigns Criminology Diversity Justice System Police Practitioners Prisons Probation Restorative Justice Weblogs FAQs


October 20, 2005: Privatising Probation: Napo's Response

Commenting today on the publication of the Home Office’s consultation paper on the Management of Offenders, Harry Fletcher, Assistant General Secretary of probation union Napo said:

“It is now abundantly clear that the Government intends to push ahead with the privatisation of the Probation Service. This agenda was apparent last week in leaked correspondence between the Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister. It is extraordinary that these proposals are being pursued when no business case has been published to justify either the creation of the National Offender Management Service or of the introduction of privatisation. In Napo’s view fragmentation and privatisation will drive down standards, cut wages and lead to less cooperation, not more, between criminal justice agencies. Probation is not a business but a viable public service”.

“It is astonishing that these plans are being pursued when the Probation Service is performing at record levels. The Home Office itself has praised the service’s contribution and progress over the last two years. It is frightening to think that private companies may in the future be providing reports for the courts, knowing that they have a vested interest in boosting jail numbers in the prisons that they own. Napo will be resisting these proposals. Privatisation will wreck the Probation Service and lead to a marked deterioration in standards of supervision and a greater risk to the community. Napo will be organising the lobbying of MPs in the coming weeks and will not rule out industrial action if the Government insists on proceeding down the market forces road.”

Return to Top


News Archives Index

Latest News

April 26, 2008: Probation Service "At Breaking Point", Says New Research

April 25, 2008: Some Crime Is Falling: It's Official

April 25, 2008: Prison Population Breaks Record

April 14, 2008: Prison Self Injury Rate Growing - Howard League

April 4, 2008: New Corporate Manslaughter Law

April 2, 2008: More Specialist Domestic Violence Court Systems

April 1, 2008: Academics Challenge Crime Research Governance

March 17, 2008: 16, 2007: More Cash For Prison Drug Treatment

March 17, 2008: Sentencing Crisis, Says Napo

March 6, 2008: ID Cards: On The Way

February 28, 2008: Community Sentences Reduce Reoffending, Says Straw

February 8, 2008: Straw Supports Community Sentences

February 1, 2008: First New Public Prison In A Decade

January 31, 2008: Penal Policy Reform

January 1, 2008: Prison Suicides Rise

December 29, 2007: Prison Recalls Out Of Control, Says Napo

December 28, 2007: Offenders Do 6m Hours Of Work

December 20, 2007: Howard League Welcomes Inquiry

December 19, 2007: The Public & Tackling Offenders

December 12, 2007: Reviewing The Law On Murder

December 6, 2007: Napo On The Carter Report

December 6, 2007: Carter Report And New 'Titan' Prisons

December 6, 2007: Prison Reform Trust On Carter

December 4, 2007: Imprisoning Women Costs Us All

 

Back ] Home ] Up ] Next ]

Send mail to CrimLinks with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2004 CrimLinks
Last modified: 04/30/08