An independent review should be carried out into the “struggling” Probation Service as it faces “chronic staff shortages”, “unmanageable workloads” and is “consistently weak” in protecting the public, inspectors have said.
Only one out of 31 Probation Delivery Units (PDUs) inspected across England and Wales was rated as “good” between June 2021 and July 2023 – with 15 given the lowest rating of “inadequate”, Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell’s final annual report said.
