Key probation services to be put out to tender

Core work, including supervising offenders and writing pre-sentence reports, to be taken out of the public sector

Harry Fletcher, of Napo, predicted the quality of work would be reduced if core probation services were put out to competition.

Core probation services, including the supervision of criminals, are to be put out to competition, in the most arresting example yet of the impact of the "big society" drive on the criminal justice system.

The 35 chief officers of probation have been told they need to examine the "potential for core probation services" to be put up for competition.

Michael Spurr, the chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, has written to chief probation officers telling them: "We intend to examine a range of possible options for service improvements and different models of delivering offender services within the community.

"The aim is to create a long-term direction for probation which is consistent with the government's key objective for reform."

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