Probation: ‘Managing too many offenders, with too few staff, too little experience’
BBCWarning: This story contains descriptions of suicide and acts of violence
Holding his chin in his hand and staring off into the distance, a probation officer tells me how he planned to end his life.
“I started preparing how I was going to do it,” he says. “I needed to get out of this work situation – I’d been working for so long and it was even more hectic and It was chaotic. I couldn’t cope and I needed to get out.”
His face is expressionless and his voice is serious.
Thinking about his family has put him off moving – but he says panic attacks have become a regular occurrence due to his increasing workload.
“This happens three or four times a week,” he tells me. “Waves of nausea, racing heartbeat, excessive sweating, and I lay awake at night wondering: ‘Have I done something at work that could have hurt someone?’
“This is no way to live.”
This is no isolated case – the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO), which represents thousands of probation officers in England and Wales, says its members are “exhausting due to persistently high workloads”.
Probation officers monitor offenders after their prison sentences and check that they comply with other conditions of their release, such as following a curfew and not taking drugs. They also help former prisoners access housing, employment and benefits, and protect the public by assessing their risk of further recidivism.
In its 2022/2023 Annual ReportThe probation watchdog assessed that much of the probation service was working beyond its capacity.
The probation caseload at the end of June 2024 – that is, the number of ex-offenders in the workforce – was 238,646. This figure is slightly higher than in 2023, when it was 238,264. Probation officers may have multiple appointments with each person.
Since the HM Inspectorate of Probation report was published and caseload figures were collected, the workload of probation officers has increased significantly – because The government released more than 2,000 criminals early from prisons in England and Wales to tackle overcrowding,
The Justice Secretary said that this had prevented the penal system from reaching its maximum capacity, and “has led to a complete breakdown of law and order”.
“We used to have about eight appointments a day – some with high-risk people, but now that’s increased to 12 appointments – colleagues are crying at their desks because it’s too many,” explains the probation officer.
Appointments may include a probation officer and the offender discussing the terms of probation, dates and times of future appointments, and job and training opportunities. Some offenders are serious offenders who require close and regular monitoring, and if probation officers are overworked they may miss opportunities to prevent them from reoffending.
The murder of Zara Alina in east London in 2022 was partly blamed on mistakes made by probation staffHer killer, Jordan McSweeney, attacked Ms Alina nine days after her release from prison. Staffing levels in the unit responsible for his care were only 61%.
The probation officer told me about a former inmate who the probation officer was supposed to meet with, but didn’t – and then he stabbed someone.
“This is what we’re dealing with,” he says. “It’s not our fault we can’t do it all.
“And then we have to live with the guilt.”
The government said it would recruit 1,000 new officers by March 2025 to help with the additional duties, but critics argue it takes at least a year to train a probation officer. Employees say it will take time for the additional staff to make a difference.
Another probation officer, who has been working in the field for several years, says, “It’s not like we’re going to hire these extra staff now and that’s what we want.”
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about quitting. We are facing extreme workloads and low pay – all of which has led to serious problems with employee retention and sickness rates in key roles “
The level of illness has increased among probation officers nationally. In the year to September 2024, each HMPSS employee lost an average of 11.4 working days due to sickness absence – which is higher than the 11.2 average working days lost for the year ending 31 March 2024.
Senior probation staff claim that at least 75% of illness is caused by stress.
The service is also facing an acute shortage of staff. Last year’s annual report of HM Inspectorate of Probation cited “chronic under-staffing” and “impact on workload” as key issues of concern.
There are 20,652 full-time probation staff in England and Wales – an increase of 103 on last year.
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) says 790 probation officers left the service in England and Wales last year (to the end of September 2024). This is a slight decrease (0.8%) compared to the previous year.
Another probation officer says, “My mental health is messed up. I’m feeling sick to my stomach and feeling tired all the time. This is my job and it’s taking a toll on my health.” “I understand why people are leaving – I would do it if I didn’t have a mortgage and bills.”
Recent inspectorate reports on probation services in various parts of the country also form the subject of serious study – many of which consider staff identification as an issue.
In November, the Bradford and Calderdale Probation Delivery Unit in West Yorkshire was deemed “inadequate” by the Inspectorate, and at risk of being unable to protect the public from harm due to “large gaps in staffing”.
Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones says he is deeply concerned that warning signs may be missed due to excessive workload.
“The more pressure probation officers are under, the more likely they are to miss things going wrong, so – of course – I’m extremely concerned about that.
“What you are seeing is a service under enormous pressure. My assessment is that the probation service has too few staff, with too little experience, managing too many cases. Is this really sustainable in the long term? Is?”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told the BBC that the new government has inherited a prison system in “crisis”, and has been forced to take “tough but necessary action to keep dangerous criminals locked up and protect the public.” Could do”.
“This includes replacing the previous government’s early release scheme which gives probation staff more time to prepare for prisoner release and providing new protections in relation to domestic abuse offences.”
