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| Payment-by-results plan for offender supervision under fire | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Senior probation officers have attacked plans to offer private companies and charities payment-by-results for supervising people released from jail. | Senior probation officers have attacked plans to offer private companies and charities payment-by-results for supervising people released from jail. |
| Supervisors would be paid according to how well they prevented reoffending in inmates' first year after release. | Supervisors would be paid according to how well they prevented reoffending in inmates' first year after release. |
| But the Probation Chiefs Association said the payment-by-results plan was "untried and untested". | But the Probation Chiefs Association said the payment-by-results plan was "untried and untested". |
| Defending the plan, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said it was "all about reducing crime". | Defending the plan, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said it was "all about reducing crime". |
| Mr Grayling told the BBC: "The truth is that reoffending is currently rising. | Mr Grayling told the BBC: "The truth is that reoffending is currently rising. |
| "Six hundred thousand crimes a year are committed by people who are going round and round the system." | "Six hundred thousand crimes a year are committed by people who are going round and round the system." |
| He confirmed that, under the proposals, every offender leaving jail - including those who have spent just a few days in prison - will have to complete a year-long period of supervision that will see them returned to custody if they reoffend. | He confirmed that, under the proposals, every offender leaving jail - including those who have spent just a few days in prison - will have to complete a year-long period of supervision that will see them returned to custody if they reoffend. |
| Currently, offenders who have a sentence of less than 12 months are not supervised on release. | Currently, offenders who have a sentence of less than 12 months are not supervised on release. |
| But figures from the Ministry of Justice show that while 46.9 % of all adult prisoners commit a further offence within a year of release, the reoffending rate is significantly higher - 58.2% - for those sentenced to less than a year. | But figures from the Ministry of Justice show that while 46.9 % of all adult prisoners commit a further offence within a year of release, the reoffending rate is significantly higher - 58.2% - for those sentenced to less than a year. |
| Mr Grayling said: "The biggest block of those that reoffend are those that are in prison for less than a year... they leave with only £46 in their pocket and that's it." | Mr Grayling said: "The biggest block of those that reoffend are those that are in prison for less than a year... they leave with only £46 in their pocket and that's it." |
| The current system supports some 250,000 ex-offenders a year, he said, while the new plan would bring another 50,000 or so people jailed for up to 12 months into the net. | The current system supports some 250,000 ex-offenders a year, he said, while the new plan would bring another 50,000 or so people jailed for up to 12 months into the net. |
| But the government is not providing any extra funding; the supervision, under a system of 21 contracts, will be the responsibility of voluntary groups, charities and private companies, who will be paid in full only if a certain proportion of offenders don't commit further crimes. | But the government is not providing any extra funding; the supervision, under a system of 21 contracts, will be the responsibility of voluntary groups, charities and private companies, who will be paid in full only if a certain proportion of offenders don't commit further crimes. |
| Contracts will be awarded on the basis of "best value and innovation" in tackling reoffending. | Contracts will be awarded on the basis of "best value and innovation" in tackling reoffending. |
| 'Best value' | 'Best value' |
| Mr Grayling said: "We have a system at the moment where only around 25% of probation time is spent working with offenders. | Mr Grayling said: "We have a system at the moment where only around 25% of probation time is spent working with offenders. |
| "There has got to be room for efficiency in the system - and for the big section that aren't getting support," he added. | "There has got to be room for efficiency in the system - and for the big section that aren't getting support," he added. |
| He will set out his plans in the House of Commons as MPs continue debating the government's legislative programme as set out in the Queen's Speech. | He will set out his plans in the House of Commons as MPs continue debating the government's legislative programme as set out in the Queen's Speech. |
| Under Mr Grayling's plans all prisoners will receive support for a minimum of 12 months to help them find accommodation, get a job or training and tackle any alcohol or drug problems they may have. | Under Mr Grayling's plans all prisoners will receive support for a minimum of 12 months to help them find accommodation, get a job or training and tackle any alcohol or drug problems they may have. |
| Long term offenders will continue to be monitored by the probation service for about the same length of time as their prison sentence - for example, an offender given an 18 month sentence will serve nine months in prison, and nine months on licence in the community. | Long term offenders will continue to be monitored by the probation service for about the same length of time as their prison sentence - for example, an offender given an 18 month sentence will serve nine months in prison, and nine months on licence in the community. |
| Mr Grayling said he was not "setting the rules" on levels of supervision - some offenders will be monitored intensively, others less so. But the prison estate will be reorganised so that most offenders are released into the area where they will be supervised. | Mr Grayling said he was not "setting the rules" on levels of supervision - some offenders will be monitored intensively, others less so. But the prison estate will be reorganised so that most offenders are released into the area where they will be supervised. |
| The Probation Chiefs Association said the system was "untried and untested". | The Probation Chiefs Association said the system was "untried and untested". |
| Sarah Billiald, of the Probation Chiefs Association, told the BBC: "Our message is to ask really, why, when you have such a high performing service... it has met all its targets... why would you not build on that success rather than dismantling it later?" | Sarah Billiald, of the Probation Chiefs Association, told the BBC: "Our message is to ask really, why, when you have such a high performing service... it has met all its targets... why would you not build on that success rather than dismantling it later?" |
| Ian Lawrence, acting general secretary of probation service union Napo, said: "Part of the rationale of government in sacrificing the Probation Service is because the reoffending rates of prisoners serving 12 months or less is high and climbing. | Ian Lawrence, acting general secretary of probation service union Napo, said: "Part of the rationale of government in sacrificing the Probation Service is because the reoffending rates of prisoners serving 12 months or less is high and climbing. |
| "However, except for a very small number of young offenders over an inadequate three-month period, the Probation Service has no statutory responsibility for supervising that group; nobody does. This decision is purely ideological and is based on cutting costs, which will certainly compromise public protection." | "However, except for a very small number of young offenders over an inadequate three-month period, the Probation Service has no statutory responsibility for supervising that group; nobody does. This decision is purely ideological and is based on cutting costs, which will certainly compromise public protection." |
| Red tape fear | Red tape fear |
| Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, argued that the plans represented "an admission of the abject failure of short-term prison sentences" and that the government should make greater use of community sentences. | Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, argued that the plans represented "an admission of the abject failure of short-term prison sentences" and that the government should make greater use of community sentences. |
| He said: "These plans set people up to fail. Rather than scrapping short prison terms, the government is creating disproportionate sentences for minor crimes, so that a two-week prison sentence becomes a year and two weeks of being trapped in the criminal justice system." | He said: "These plans set people up to fail. Rather than scrapping short prison terms, the government is creating disproportionate sentences for minor crimes, so that a two-week prison sentence becomes a year and two weeks of being trapped in the criminal justice system." |
| But the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust (Rapt), which provides drug treatment services for offenders, welcomed the idea of enhanced monitoring and support. | But the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust (Rapt), which provides drug treatment services for offenders, welcomed the idea of enhanced monitoring and support. |
| Mike Trace, Rapt's chief executive, said it would be possible to achieve greater supervision without significantly more resources - as long as the process did not get caught up in red tape. | Mike Trace, Rapt's chief executive, said it would be possible to achieve greater supervision without significantly more resources - as long as the process did not get caught up in red tape. |
| Colin Lambert, a former prisoner and now project manager at the offender charity St Giles Trust, told the BBC it was a "great idea". | Colin Lambert, a former prisoner and now project manager at the offender charity St Giles Trust, told the BBC it was a "great idea". |
| "I know that they are saying payment-by-results is untested, but what we have now doesn't work so we need new ideas," he said. | "I know that they are saying payment-by-results is untested, but what we have now doesn't work so we need new ideas," he said. |