Under significant reforms snuck out by the government, released criminals will no longer be monitored by probation authorities until the completion of their terms.
After being released from prison, offenders had to be in constant communication with the probation department until the judge’s sentence expired, but now, in the majority of cases, supervision will end at the two-thirds point of the sentence.
The change, which has already come into effect, was not formally announced by the Ministry of Justice.
Its purpose is to lessen probation officials’ burden.
In the past two years, the probation watchdog has released several negative findings that have brought attention to the overworked and overburdened cases that officers are handling.
But there are fears that the relaxation of probationary measures—first reported by LBC—could have disastrous consequences.
One senior officer in the service told the radio station it was ‘dangerous’ and ‘people will die’ because ‘warning signs are missed’.
The most serious offenders will continue to be watched until the completion of their sentences and are not subject to adjustments.
Serious sexual and violent criminals, terrorists, and those under the strictest levels of supervision in the community—known as multi-agency public protection arrangements—will remain under full scrutiny.
Day-to-day monitoring for less serious offenders will terminate at the two-thirds mark; however, they will still need to meet with probation officers once in the last third.
Anthony Goodman, a former probation officer and professor of criminology at the University of Middlesex, told LBC: ‘This is trying to put a sticking plaster on something that needs major surgery.’
Asked whether it could result in people’s lives being endangered, he said, ‘Absolutely. The general public is more at risk.
‘This is something we should all be extremely concerned about because it affects all of us.’ It comes as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is releasing more criminals from jail early.
This month, an emergency plan that was implemented in October that permits prisoners serving terms of up to four years in jail to be released up to sixty days early will be extended to seventy days.
An MoJ spokesman said: ‘We recognise the pressures facing our hardworking probation staff, which is why we are making changes to ensure they can continue to deliver high-quality supervision in the community.
‘These measures, alongside our £155 million investment in the Probation Service each year, will reduce caseloads and mean staff can maximise supervision of the most serious offenders.’
I thus question if this choice has undergone any risk analysis. How many deaths are they expecting as a result of this change? And how much is the appropriate amount that they can manage?
They couldn’t possibly care less as long as it doesn’t impact the decision-makers, the wealthy and powerful.
More, not less, is required for the whole legal system, and it’s not just the judiciary system, it’s every institution and service that’s broken.
We have become soft on crime. Armed forces have been cut to the bone, along with public services and the police force, and now do crime and do little time, and this country has gone to the dogs.
Another significant step in the wrong direction and more ingenious thinking from the UK administration. This is pathetic, who dreams up these schemes?
The Tories have made a mess of our country, and now it’s a very dangerous place to live, and our towns and cities are unrecognisable.
The probation service puts itself at risk every day while performing a very dangerous job, therefore we really shouldn’t be criticising them. Instead of eliminating them from the picture, our government should be investing more funding in this area.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 