Probation officers won’t be able to cope with 5,500 prisoner releases

Today the government is releasing an estimated 1,700 prisoners early, under the scheme (SDS40) in which most inmates will only serve 40 per cent of their sentence. By the end of October, some 5,500 prisoners will have been released early. The idea is to take pressure off the prison system, and buy enough time to build more capacity. Life may become a little easier in our jails, but for the probation service, this means yet more pressure.

Probation is a crucial part of the justice system. It is responsible for supervising people who are serving community sentences, and those who have been released from prison ‘on licence’. Probation officers are expected to ensure that people do not breach the terms of their licence, do not reoffend, and that they participate in programmes to address substance or behaviour problems. If an offender breaches their licence, a probation officer may have to ‘recall’ them, sending them back to prison for some or all of their sentence.