Probation contracts unsustainable, Financial Times

Almost every contract to provide probation services in England and Wales is lossmaking, according to a report in today's Financial Times (£).

Many of the contracts are unsustainable, the newspaper reports, because the bids were based on incorrect assumptions. 'If it is not fixed, it will be a disaster', one provider said.

Our director Richard Garside told the newspaper:

I am not surprised that some companies are experiencing buyer's remorse over this botched privatisation.

It is now time for the Ministry of Justice to draw a line under the mistakes of the past and establish a coherent and sustainable delivery model for probation services in England and Wales.