Probation privatisation could founder on the rocks of implementation

Our director Richard Garside argues in his latest comment piece that the government's probation privatisation plans look increasingly likely to founder on the rocks of implementation.

Reviewing a new report from the House of Commons Justice Committee, he writes:

'If the government's plans to privatise probation under the 'Transforming Rehabilitation' programme end up being as messy, expensive, counter-productive and damaging as many critics fear, today's report from the House of Commons Justice Committee sheds some light on why.

'Across a range of areas - programme design and definition of outcome, programme costings, transition planning and professional buy-in, to name but a few - the Committee's report raises significant concerns and questions, albeit wrapped up in polite parliamentary language.'

The Committee's report is covered in this morning's Financial Times (free registration required). According to the paper, 'even those who support the government’s plans are dubious about the scale of the reforms and about Mr Grayling’s goal of awarding the new contracts before the 2015 election.'

The paper also notes that Capita, which is the running for the new privatised probation contracts, has attracted fresh criticism from the National Audit Office over failings to deliver on its £900m contract to provide court interpreters.

Related items

'Best in the business' bidding for probation work (19 December, 2013)
Centre for Crime and Justice Studies written evidence to the House of Commons Justice Committee (external link) (October 2013)