Merger ahead for prison and probation services

8 Jan 04
The prison and probation services are to be merged in a shake-up of correctional services in England and Wales, which ministers promise will curb inmate numbers and deliver better value for money.

09 January 2004

The prison and probation services are to be merged in a shake-up of correctional services in England and Wales, which ministers promise will curb inmate numbers and deliver better value for money.

The National Offender Management Service (Noms) will be given a budget of £3.2bn and will provide 'end-to-end management' of offenders to ensure that rehabilitation progress made in prison is carried through into the community.

The new service will begin operating in June 2004 and will be led by Martin Narey, the Home Office's commissioner for correctional services. Narey will be explicitly accountable for reducing re-offending.

Under the proposals, greater use is to be made of fines, community sentencing and electronic tagging, slowing down the increase in the prison population, which is projected to rise to 93,000 by 2009 if trends continue. Increased use of alternatives should keep 13,000 offenders out of jail.

Ministers were keen to stress that they weren't retracting their 'prison works' rhetoric but 'rebalancing' the correctional system.

Home Office minister Paul Goggins said: 'We are not going soft on crime but we need to reinvigorate the fine as a credible punishment. We are increasing prison places but there are people in prison who can be more effectively dealt with by the community.'

The Home Office said Noms should also deliver greater value for money. Ten regional offender managers will be empowered to purchase services provided by the private and voluntary sectors, although public sector prisons will continue to be managed on a national basis and will report directly to Narey.

However, the GMB union said that reorganising the Probation Service twice in three years was a 'slap in the face' to probation officers. Mick Graham, the GMB's public services national secretary, said: 'Not only will [officers] have to maintain the existing service, they will be expected to implement the new structure – while worrying about the impact of these fundamental reforms on their own jobs.'

The package of measures, unveiled on January 6, builds on many of the suggestions made by businessman Patrick Carter, who was commissioned to review correctional services and whose report was published alongside the government's proposals.

The government is examining the feasibility of a system put forward by Carter and already used in Germany, which sets a fine over a fixed number of days and is based on the offender's ability to pay.

Old and inadequate prison stock is also expected to be replaced. Brixton, Holloway and Wandsworth prisons in London are likely to be sold to to pay for new prisons.

PFjan2004

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