The House Magazine reviews probation plans

Our Director Richard Garside has written for a House Magazine policy review of the government's plans to privatise probation and introduce 'payment by results' (PbR).

Richard writes:

'Whether PbR will work in the terms the Government expects is impossible to tell. In his evidence to the Justice Committee, Chris Grayling said that PbR was “so obviously the right thing to do”. Sincere belief is not, however, a good substitute for evidence.'

He concludes that the 'parliamentary arithmetic and the powers to change probation structures already resting with ministers do not favour the opponents of the changes. It also appears increasingly likely that the Government’s plans will founder on the rocks of implementation'.

The other contributors to the policy review are Lord David Ramsbotham, the former Chief Inspector of Prisons, and Tom Clougherty of the Adam Smith Institute.

Download the review below.

Related items

The coming probation privatisation disaster (22 January, 2014)
Risky and fundamentally misguided (24 September, 2013)
The great probation sell-off (19 September, 2013)