65 Probation service cuts

Submitted by Napo

Congress recognises the major threat posed to the future effectiveness of the criminal justice system (CJS) as a result of proposed Treasury cuts in its budget. It condemns the Government’s reckless and unjustifiable cuts to the CJS.

If implemented in the probation service, these cuts could reduce the number of staff by up to 20 per cent. They threaten the livelihoods of hard-working staff and place communities at risk as a result of the probation service being unable to meet the heavy workload demands placed on it – workloads which are increasing due to the impact of the recession on people’s lives.

Congress praises the dedicated work of probation staff challenging offending behaviour and changing lives whilst living with the uncertainty of job losses. It is appalled that more than half of trainee probation officers currently expect to be without a job on completion of their studies. Congress will actively support probation unions’ calls for a significant increase in funding for frontline services and the use of industrial action, if necessary, in order to save jobs and maintain the high quality practice that has characterised the work of the probation service for the past 100 years.