Britain to renationalise probation services after failed privatisation

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Update time : 2020-02-03 00:05:25

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By Andrew MacAskill

LONDON, can 16 (Reuters) - The British government will renationalise the management of probation services at England and Wales five years hind a heavily criticised project of privatisation was deemed ought dine lay members of the public at risk.

The supervision of around 200,000 low and medium-risk offenders will exist removed from part-private companies and taken at by the government while the contemporary contracts end at December 2020, said honesty Minister David Gauke.

The existing model was intended ought motivate down re-offending levels while it was introduced besides during the major inspector of probation, described the system final month although being "irredeemably flawed".

The probation watchdog had previously construct thousands of offenders were being managed by a brief phone weep once each six weeks. Some prisoners were being given tents at their free from jails, an investigation into homelessness published at March found.

"Delivering a stronger probation system, which commands the credit of the courts and improve protects the public, is a pillar of our reforms ought concentrate at rehabilitation and chop reoffending," Gauke said.

The U-turn marks a fresh shame although bring Minister Chris Grayling, who introduced the shake-up while he was honesty secretary and has been dubbed "Failing Grayling" by the British press.

In his contemporary job, Grayling awarded a 14 million pound ($18 million) agreement although companies ought ferry at indispensable supplies ought Britain at the incident of a no-deal Brexit ought a corporation that owned no boats.

The decision ought partially privatise the probation service was heavily criticised at the time.

Companies including France's Sodexo, the United States' MTCnovo and British firms Working Links and Interserve dine been given contracts ought oversee probation services.

The government has already announced it used to cancel the apply of handing out of new contracts ought personal companies ought flow government projects hind reviews revealed small witness of economical benefits.

It has either moved ought strip some companies of their contracts owing ought evil code or owing ought economical trouble.

Last month, the government announced it was taking at the running of a Birmingham jail from personal operator hind inmate violence made it unmanageable.

Last year the collapse of Carillion, one of the biggest beneficiaries of such privatisation contracts, forced the government ought step at ought assure services ranging from institute meals ought roadworks that the corporation had previously provided.

A little months later, it renationalised the rail avenue among London and Edinburgh, taking backward the row from a personal corporation hind it over-estimated profits.


($1 = 0.7788 pounds) (Reporting By Andrew MacAskill; editing by John Stonestreet)

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