The Chief Inspector of Probation found better information-sharing and a strong focus on public protection in the region, but weaknesses in case assessment remained.
Martin Jones found cause for concern over public protection in two probation regions, and published youth justice reports on Neath Port Talbot and Wandsworth.
Ministry of Justice figures show recalls rose by 38 per cent in a year. Only 22 per cent followed a new criminal charge.
Government data for 2023 to 2025 reveal large gaps in supervision of higher-risk cases, as ministers plan less contact with low-risk prison leavers and more tagging.
A project funded by Forces in Mind Trust wants probation, sentencing courts and the military to take more account of the backgrounds of former service personnel.
The Chief Inspector of Probation said inspection findings paint a grim picture, as the Prison Reform Trust and the Ministry of Justice also responded to the committee.
The committee’s report finds recalls at a record high, a sharp fall in the quality of risk assessments and staff working well beyond capacity.
The Prisons and Probation Minister told a live recording of The Secret Life of Prisons at the Clinks conference that he had “severe” concerns about probation’s ability to deliver the Sentencing Act.
The Chief Inspector of Probation said weak information sharing undermined risk management in the region, though its work had improved since a May 2024 inspection.
The Chief Inspector of Probation, the probation officers’ union and penal reform charities have backed the Government’s decision to drop plans to publicise people sentenced to unpaid work.
