Excessive probation workloads put public at risk in England and Wales, union warns
Summary
Probation officers in England and Wales have very heavy workloads, which a union says puts the public at risk because they cannot properly supervise ex-offenders. With plans to increase the number of monitored offenders by 40%, the union warns of staff burnout and threatens industrial action unless there is better support and pay.Key Facts
- Probation officers in England and Wales are managing too many ex-offenders, causing concern for public safety.
- The number of offenders monitored by electronic tags will rise from 28,000 to 40,000 starting this autumn.
- A union called Napo has declared no confidence in probation service managers for the first time.
- Last year, reports said the service had too few trained staff, leading to excessive workloads and risks to the public.
- Staff work at 126% of capacity in some areas, meaning they have more work than they can handle.
- The union says removing a workload measurement tool will hide how much work officers must do.
- The Ministry of Justice plans to hire 1,300 more probation officers and invest £700 million by 2029.
- A prisons minister admitted the probation system inherited was “broken” and is being rebuilt, which will take time.
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