Cuts Will Drive Up Crime, Union Warns

A probation union has warned that should the Government go ahead with "draconian" public spending cuts, crime rates will rise.

The union Napo has said cuts up to 25% will mean many areas reducing services for sex offenders and those involved in domestic violence. These cuts could help increase reoffending rates.

In an earlier statement made by the Police Federation of England and Wales, they repeat Napo's notion that cuts would lead to a reduction in police officer numbers, resulting in an increase in crime.

However the Government has said there is no evidence for this outcome and accused the Police Federation of "scaremongering".

Napo's Assistant General secretary Harry Fletcher, said: "The gains of the last decade risk being jeopardised because of draconian cuts."

Napo added that some of the more expensive schemes run by the Probation Service, such as the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme, are already being rationed in some areas.

The service stands by its claim that its schemes treating sexual offending and drug and alcohol dependency can help reduce reoffending rates from 50% to 35%.

But Mr Fletcher predicted that cuts will reduce the number of successfully completed schemes from 40,000 last year to 30,000 by 2012. He added that the courses are significantly cheaper than sending someone to prison, something that will be more common without employing the services.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman responded: "Public protection is one of our main priorities and there is no evidence to suggest that savings made to the Probation Service will compromise this or increase crime."

He said the Government was committed to retaining front line services and was also looking into how the voluntary and private sector can play a part in rehabilitation services.

(BMcN/GK)