Commenting on the second tranche of prisoners to be released under the government’s early release scheme, UNISON national officer for probation Ben Priestley said today (Tuesday):
“Probation staff are feeling the pressure. Early releasing may be tackling prison overcrowding, but it’s heaping heavier workloads and stress onto an already over-stretched probation team.
“The previous government left the justice system in meltdown, and completely failed to control the prison population. That’s why the early release scheme can only ever be a sticking plaster response. It must be replaced with a costed and effective plan to reduce prisoner numbers.
“The prison system is failing prisoners and communities because it doesn’t rehabilitate people effectively. The government’s review of sentencing should hopefully see courts handing down more community sentences and imprisoning fewer women.
“But the probation service requires significant investment, including pay increases to tackle entrenched recruitment and retention problems.
“The service must also be handed back to local delivery and local democratic accountability under police and crime commissioners, and elected mayors.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
The article Early release scheme is only a sticking plaster first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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