Chief inspector of probation calls for a cut in the ‘unsustainable’ probation workload in England and Wales

Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation in England and Wales has called upon ministers to consider reducing the caseload of the probation service by up to 40,000 offenders to ease the overcrowding crisis in prisons.

Calling the current model ‘not sustainable’ he suggested ministers should free up capacity by no longer asking probation officers to monitor people released from prison after short custodial sentences for crimes such as shoplifting.

Talking to The Guardian, Jones said “Let’s not pretend that the probation service can manage nearly a quarter of a million people within its current resourcing envelope. You might have to make some choices in relation to people for whom there might be some benefits, but actually, where do you focus those resources? I don’t think this current model is sustainable,”

“In 2015, people released from short custodial sentences didn’t receive any kind of supervision at all. It seems to me that what they’ve almost done is dragged across these cases and ended up with an inflated caseload that they can’t properly supervise. I think you could deal with those people more effectively by way of community sentences,”

He added “Thousands of cases involving 18- to 21-year-olds that are assessed by the probation service could be moved over to youth justice services”.