From June, domestic abusers and sex offenders in England and Wales will undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of less-qualified staff, raising concerns about public safety.
The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) new proposals will see behavioural programmes delivered by “band 3” employees—who lack full probation officer qualifications—rather than the highly experienced “band 4” staff who currently handle high-risk offenders.
Major Changes to Offender Rehabilitation Programmes
Under the new system, fewer low- and medium-risk offenders will be required to attend twice-weekly rehabilitation sessions.
Instead, probation officers will manage these individuals through structured “toolkits” in weekly meetings, reducing reliance on dedicated rehabilitation programmes.
Additionally, several existing interventions for sex offenders—such as Horizon, Kaizen, and iHorizon—are set to be scrapped in favour of a single replacement programme, Building Choices.
Watchdog and Probation Staff Raise Public Safety Concerns
Martin Jones, Chief Inspector of Probation, has urged the government to closely monitor the changes, warning against the long-term consequences of ineffective rehabilitation programmes.
“HM Prison and Probation Service needs to ensure that these programmes are delivering meaningful results, so we don’t find ourselves in a position years down the line where significant public funds have been spent without improving offender behaviour,” Jones cautioned.
The changes have sparked unrest among probation officers, with many fearing the new approach will not only undermine rehabilitation efforts but also increase their already overwhelming workloads.
A Whitehall source echoed these concerns, warning that rather than easing pressures on probation staff, the reforms could backfire by making their jobs even more challenging.
Probation Failures Under Scrutiny
The overhaul comes amid heightened scrutiny of the probation service following damning reports on five murders and two sexual offences committed by individuals under supervision.
Two weeks ago, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that rehabilitation courses for 13,000 convicted criminals would be cancelled due to what she described as probation officers’ “impossible” workloads.
Mahmood has defended the decision, stating that while courses for many low-risk offenders will be scrapped, supervision will continue, and breaches of licence conditions could still result in imprisonment.
“We will ensure that offenders who pose a higher risk and require these courses will receive them,” Mahmood stated. “This decision was not taken lightly, but it reflects the urgent need to address the challenges facing the probation service.”
Reforming the Probation Service: What’s Next?
To counter staffing shortages, the MoJ plans to recruit 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026, in addition to the 1,000 already set to join by March this year.
Mahmood has also pledged to introduce new technology to reduce administrative burdens on probation staff, allowing them to focus more on offender supervision.
Jones previously welcomed Mahmood’s restructuring efforts, admitting that the current system suffers from “too few staff, with too little experience, managing too many cases.”
An MoJ spokesperson reassured the public that public safety remains the top priority, stating:
“Probation staff will only deliver accredited programmes if they have been fully trained to do so. This will not change under the new proposals.”
As concerns grow over the effectiveness of these reforms, experts warn that the true impact on offender rehabilitation and public safety will only become clear in the coming years.
