01 February 2023 , 21:15
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Labour has demanded an investigation into claims that probation staff are “pressured” into lowering the risk of dangerous offenders.
It comes after a whistleblower this week claimed probation officers are under “organisational pressure” to allocate lower risk ratings to offenders.
The anonymous source told Channel 4 News: “The more complex and riskier cases, the more resources allocated to it.
“There is some organisational pressure to lower the risk rating because you can pass more cases on to a person if they are less resource heavy.”
A murder is carried out every week by an offender on probation, according to Labour analysis of official figures.
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The party is now calling on Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to launch an independent investigation led by the Chief Inspector of Probation Justice Russell into the claims.
Zara's aunt Farah Naz said prosecutors have 'blood on their hands' (PA)Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said: “The Government stands accused of letting murderers and rapists loose on our streets without the necessary supervision. This is a clear threat to public safety causing great alarm given the high number of murders being committed by offenders on probation.
“The Government must launch an investigation into these allegations urgently. If under this Conservative Government dangerous prisoners' risk levels are being downgraded on release, they are responsible for increasing danger to the public.
“Labour is the party of law and order. We will get a grip of the failing probation service and end this outrageous practice that puts public safety at risk in the most alarming way imaginable.”
A Ministry of Justice Spokesman said: “There is no pressure to lower risk ratings. Probation officers use clear frameworks and risk assessment tools alongside their professional judgement to assess and allocate cases.”
However last week Mr Russell said without urgent Government action to reverse cuts.
He was speaking after his report slammed failings that left a sex predator free to kill Zara Aleena.
Keir Starmer told Rishi Sunak the probation service is "on its knees" after the report found probation staff missed a “catalogue of chances” to stop a man with a history of violence murdering the 35-year-old law graduate.
to condemn failings in the probation service, which he said were as a result of "a botched-then-reversed privatisation, after a decade of underinvestment" by the Government.
He added: "It's yet another vital public service on its knees after 13 years of Tory government."
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Mr Starmer told the Prime Minister: "I spoke to Zara's family this morning. It is hard to convey to this House the agony that they have been through. They say that the Government has blood on their hands over these failings.
"He's accepted the findings of the report, does he also accept what Zara's family say?"
Mr Sunak replied that his "heart of course goes out to Zara's family", adding that the Government had made moves to address staff shortages and other issues in the probation service.
The Prime Minister said £155million was being invested into the probation service each year “so that we can deliver better supervision of offenders”.
He added: "If we do want to increase the safety of women and girls out on our streets then we need tough sentencing, and that is why this Government passed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which he opposite and his party opposed."
But Mr Starmer blasted the Prime Minister for “boasting” about the “protection that he’s been putting in place for women”.
He added: “I’m not going to take lectures from him about that.”
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