NAPO parliamentary rally

I spoke at a Parliamentary rally organised by NAPO last week. The probation service is facing financial cuts over the next three years which will significantly affect service delivery. This at a time when there is huge investment promised in building more prison places and more prisons. The only people to gain from this policy direction will be the private companies, who will build and run the prisons, raking in the profits of prisons on a mortgage for generations to come. Meanwhile hard pressed probation services across the country are not taking on trainee probation staff, are asking staff to work five days for four days pay, and are cutting essential allowances. There is a real public safety issue here.