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| Serco wins first private probation contract | Serco wins first private probation contract |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The security company Serco is to take over the supervision of offenders on "community payback" sentences in London from October under the first area of probation work to be handed to the private sector. | |
| The Ministry of Justice announced yesterday that Serco, in partnership with London probation, had won the four-year contract worth £37m, under which 15,000 offenders carry out 1.3m hours of unpaid work. | |
| The contract was announced as the MoJ confirmed it intends to put out to tender £600m-worth of probation services – 60% of the entire budget – with a final decision and a timetable due this autumn. It includes the management of low-risk offenders as well as community payback programmes. | |
| An update on the government's prisons and probation competition plans published yesterday also discloses that there will be a third round of prison privatisations launched in the spring. Bids were invited last October from the private sector and the prison service to run eight prisons in a second round of the competition, with an announcement due in October. | |
| The MoJ claims the four-year London Serco contract will save £25m, or 37%, on the cost of providing community payback schemes in the capital. | The MoJ claims the four-year London Serco contract will save £25m, or 37%, on the cost of providing community payback schemes in the capital. |
| The contract specifies that offenders should start on the unpaid work schemes within seven days of sentencing rather than 10 as now, and that unemployed offenders should "work" four full days a week. Faster action is also to be taken against those who misbehave or fail to attend. | The contract specifies that offenders should start on the unpaid work schemes within seven days of sentencing rather than 10 as now, and that unemployed offenders should "work" four full days a week. Faster action is also to be taken against those who misbehave or fail to attend. |
| Community payback is the rebranding of court-ordered unpaid community service work programmes that began 30 years ago as an alternative to custodial sentences. | Community payback is the rebranding of court-ordered unpaid community service work programmes that began 30 years ago as an alternative to custodial sentences. |
| Three groups put in bids for the contract: Serco, with London probation as a sub-contractor; Sodexo, with Essex probation, and Mitie and A4E in a joint company called com:pact. G4S, the private security firm struggling to recruit enough security guards for the London Olympics, was not among the bidders. | Three groups put in bids for the contract: Serco, with London probation as a sub-contractor; Sodexo, with Essex probation, and Mitie and A4E in a joint company called com:pact. G4S, the private security firm struggling to recruit enough security guards for the London Olympics, was not among the bidders. |
| The probation service will continue to prepare risk assessments and pre-sentence reports on offenders on the scheme, but they will be supervised by the private company. | The probation service will continue to prepare risk assessments and pre-sentence reports on offenders on the scheme, but they will be supervised by the private company. |
| The probation minister Crispin Blunt said community payback was sound in principle but had not been meeting its full potential and did not command public confidence. | The probation minister Crispin Blunt said community payback was sound in principle but had not been meeting its full potential and did not command public confidence. |
| "This new provision is a real game-changer; making the payback real, driving innovation and value through the criminal justice system. In time, this approach will be copied throughout England and Wales," Blunt said. | "This new provision is a real game-changer; making the payback real, driving innovation and value through the criminal justice system. In time, this approach will be copied throughout England and Wales," Blunt said. |
| Heather Munro, the chief executive of London Probation Trust, said the contract would ensure the quality of community payback was maintained but the cost reduced: "Our partnerships with Serco will build on the existing good practice and strong relationships with beneficiaries and sentencers in London." | Heather Munro, the chief executive of London Probation Trust, said the contract would ensure the quality of community payback was maintained but the cost reduced: "Our partnerships with Serco will build on the existing good practice and strong relationships with beneficiaries and sentencers in London." |
| Harry Fletcher, of the probation union Napo, said: "This marks the beginning of the privatisation and fragmentation of the probation service. The only way that Serco can achieve the savings they claim is by the reduction of the number of staff and their wages. This will mean that the level of supervision will deteriorate and the breach rate will escalate," he predicted. | Harry Fletcher, of the probation union Napo, said: "This marks the beginning of the privatisation and fragmentation of the probation service. The only way that Serco can achieve the savings they claim is by the reduction of the number of staff and their wages. This will mean that the level of supervision will deteriorate and the breach rate will escalate," he predicted. |
| Frances Crook, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said she feared that handing the management of potentially dangerous people to a private company would put the public at risk. | Frances Crook, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said she feared that handing the management of potentially dangerous people to a private company would put the public at risk. |
| In a joint statement, the Probation Association and the Probation Chiefs Association congratulated Serco, but argued that the responsibility for the entire national probation should be devolved to local probation trusts. | In a joint statement, the Probation Association and the Probation Chiefs Association congratulated Serco, but argued that the responsibility for the entire national probation should be devolved to local probation trusts. |
| "This would place both the resources and responsibility with the accountable organisations who could then be properly judged on the outcomes," they said. | "This would place both the resources and responsibility with the accountable organisations who could then be properly judged on the outcomes," they said. |
| "Retaining commissioning at a national level will unnecessarily complicate the landscape, lead to the silo delivery of services and hinder the development of innovative local solutions to reduce crime." | "Retaining commissioning at a national level will unnecessarily complicate the landscape, lead to the silo delivery of services and hinder the development of innovative local solutions to reduce crime." |