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Probation officers have voted against accepting a proposed 5% pay increase and plan to engage in industrial action, citing increased strain caused by a government program for early prisoner release. The union representing probation workers, Napo, decided to refuse overtime starting from 23 November and may escalate to strike action if it is deemed necessary.
Ian Lawrence, general secretary of Napo, highlighted that the probation service was already struggling before the early release initiative was introduced, a scheme that depends heavily on probation staff supervising prisoners released back into the community. Meanwhile, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson indicated that the government has made a “strong offer” and is in the process of hiring an additional 1,300 probation officers to substantially reduce workloads.
The spokesperson also assured that contingency plans are in place to maintain stringent supervision of offenders despite potential industrial action. Unions representing probation staff have expressed concerns about excessive caseloads and a rising rate of staff departures from the profession. The probation service’s challenges have intensified recently due to the early release program implemented to relieve prison overcrowding.
Since 1 October, three groups of prisoners eligible under this scheme—initially 700 offenders sentenced to up to 19 months, followed by 650 more released in mid-October and again in early November—have been freed. Over the coming seven months, nine additional cohorts, including inmates with longer sentences, are anticipated to be released, with one particular release of approximately 250 prisoners serving sentences over 12 years scheduled for 9 June. Napo’s leadership noted that staff had previously struggled to manage similar early release schemes under both Labour and Conservative governments, often hampered by insufficient staffing and resources.
The government contends that the use of electronic monitoring devices and probation interventions will effectively oversee the released prisoners. Currently, electronic tags are employed to monitor curfews and conditions set by court or prison orders, and most individuals eligible for early release now require such tagging. However, a report published in September by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation revealed that nearly half of these electronic tags were not fitted on offenders in a timely manner
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