Cuts Will 'Fundamentally' Affect Probation And Rehabilitation

Cuts being proposed by the Executive would fundamentally change probation services and the rehabilitation of offenders in Northern Ireland, according to the Probation Board.

Chair of Probation Board Vilma Patterson said today: "On Friday the Probation Board will meet to discuss the draft budget which proposes a 12% decrease in the budget allocation for PBNI. This means our budget for 2015-16 will be £16,243k which is a reduction of over £2m.

"A potential decrease in funding of this magnitude will fundamentally change how we carry out our business. Research shows that investing in probation has the potential to save money throughout the criminal justice system, so these proposed cuts are not only going to impact adversely on probation but also on all of criminal justice."

Ms Patterson said about 82% the board's budget is spent on salaries and fixed costs and that the cuts would require them to further examine staff costs in the next year.

"In the last number of months we have had to change our practice as a result of staffing pressures," she said. "For example the level of contact with most offenders has been decreased, and our service to victims will be impacted. We will now have to reduce our contribution to a range of multi-agency partnerships including those which manage offenders who have committed certain serious sexual and violent offences."

Pam Hunter, Chief Executive of Nexus, a charity for survivors of sexual abuse and violence, said: "As an organisation representing victims and survivors of sexual violence we have seen at first hand the positive impact of probation programmes and probation officer’s specialist skills in helping prevent reoffending. Successful rehabilitation of offenders will mean fewer victims. Unfortunately without sufficient investment in probation services there is the potential that there will be more victims of crime for which there is already limited funding also."

(IT/MH)