UK Inquiry Tracker

Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry

Opened: 10 Jul 2025 Parliament page

Reforms of probation services were carried out in 2014, which divided the service into two – a National Probation Service, dealing with the most serious offenders, and twenty-one private sector-led Community Rehabilitation Companies, dealing with lower-risk offenders. These reforms were heavily criticised , and the service was reunified in 2021 … Read more Reforms of probation services were carried out in 2014, which divided the service into two – a National Probation Service, dealing with the most serious offenders, and twenty-one private sector-led Community Rehabilitation Companies, dealing with lower-risk offenders. These reforms were heavily criticised , and the service was reunified in 2021 with the aim of delivering a more sustainable system. Probation supervision levels of lower risk cases was then reduced in April 2024 due to high staff workloads and increases in demand from the prison capacity crisis, and a transformation programme is now under way to explore more innovative approaches to reducing workload pressures and improving outcomes. The PAC has reported multiple times on probation reforms. Its 2014 landscape review warned that the reforms dividing the service carried significant risks. Its next report in 2016 found that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) had yet to bring about the rehabilitation revolution that it had promised, highlighting IT problems and serious uncertainty caused by the impact on providers of lower than expected business volumes. Its progress review in 2019 found that prisoner rehabilitation reforms had been rushed, highlighting higher costs and poorer outcomes. Most recently, its 2023 report on improving resettlement support for prison leavers found a sharp decline in the quality of support in recent years. In 2025, the National Audit Office (NAO) reports on the efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service . Following this report, the PAC will take evidence from senior MoJ and HM Prison and Probation Service officials, with likely topics for scrutiny including: quality of service and workforce challenges; staff workload; and impact of the prison capacity crisis, as reported on by the PAC in March 2025 . If you have evidence on these issues, please submit here by 23:59 on Monday 17 November 2025. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. You can request anonymity or confidentiality when you send evidence, but it is the Committee which decides what information to publish and how. It may treat submissions confidentially, even where you have not requested this. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues . Show less

16 Recommendations

11 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

2 Letters

1 Event

Activity timeline 5 events

21 May
2026

Correspondence

Letter to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice relating to Efficiency and resilience of the probation service, 21 May 2026

7 Apr
2026

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Sixty-fifth report from Session 2024-26

4 Feb
2026

Report published

65th Report - Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service

8 Jan
2026

Correspondence

Letter from the Chief Executive Officer at HM Prison & Probation Service relating to his appearance before the Committee on its Efficiency …

1 Dec
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

1 Dec 2025

View on parliament.uk

Adam Bailey · Ministry of Justice Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE · Ministry of Justice James McEwen · Ministry of Justice Jim Barton · HM Prisons and Probation Service Kim Thornden-Edwards · HMPPS

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
65th Report - Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service	HC 1235	4 Feb 2026	27	Response document linked

Recommendations & Conclusions

27 results

2 Recommendation

65th Report - Efficiency and resil…

Set out how to monitor Probation Service impact on reoffending and share Reset evaluation findings.

MoJ and HMPPS do not know how probation performance affects outcomes such as reoffending. The overall aims of the Probation Service are to protect the public and to reduce reoffending. MoJ estimates that the economic and social cost of reoffending … Read more

HM Treasury

Efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service

Activity timeline 5 events

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Recommendations & Conclusions

Set out how to monitor Probation Service impact on reoffending and share Reset evaluation findings.

Set out when staff workloads will reduce and how to manage future changes.

Set out assessment for digital tool rollout, risk thresholds for changes, and monitoring breaches.

Set out plans to manage staffing shortfalls, staff training, and workload reduction contingencies.

Write to Committee on funding for third sector support and reoffending reduction assurance.

Committee took evidence on the efficiency and resilience of the Probation Service.

Probation Service performance has significantly worsened since 2021, failing most key targets.

Workforce shortages and high staff turnover remain key reasons for poor Probation Service performance.

Probation officer workloads remain excessively high despite prioritisation measures and new programmes.

Ministry of Justice accepted responsibility for poor Probation Service performance only after repeated questioning.

Offender outcomes like reoffending rates and prison recalls have significantly deteriorated since 2021.

MoJ and HMPPS failed to acknowledge link between poor probation performance and deteriorating outcomes.

Evaluation of 'Reset' scheme lacks assessment of impact on reoffending and public protection.

Persistent staff shortages create unsustainable workloads for probation officers across all regions.

Probation staff face immense pressure from constant policy changes and high workloads.

Probation Service faces persistent high staff turnover and sickness rates due to mental ill health.

Our Future Probation Service' programme aims to address staff shortfalls with a high-risk approach.

Our Future Probation Service' programme raises public safety concerns regarding reduced supervision.

Our Future Probation Service' programme faces concerns about further disruption and staff pressure.

Ministry of Justice and HMPPS lack clear "red lines" for acceptable risks in probation reforms.

HMPPS aims to close 3,150 probation staff shortfall through 25% capacity freeing measures.

HMPPS's 25% probation staff capacity freeing target lacks robust evidence and certainty.

Significant uncertainties remain regarding achieving the 25% probation staff capacity reduction target.

Reduced probation supervision for lower-risk offenders risks increasing reoffending without enhanced third-sector support.

HMPPS believes sufficient third-sector capacity exists for rehabilitative services with new contracts planned.

Funding allocation for third-sector rehabilitative services remains unclear despite increased probation investment.

Electronic monitoring expansion faces past performance issues with Serco, but improvements are now expected.

Correspondence 2 letters