The government’s Sentencing Review has landed, promising transformation and a long-overdue shift away from short prison sentences. For Ian Lawrence, Napo’s General Secretary, it’s a case of cautious optimism mixed with deep frustration and a stark warning to ministers: “You want this done? Then you need to respect and properly pay the people expected to deliver it.”
“It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Ian says, “to really try and tackle the massive issue of reoffending. And as a starting point, we’re broadly in favour.” But as with so many reforms over the years, the devil is in the detail.
A familiar red flag: privatisation
One concern leaps out immediately: the heavy emphasis on electronic monitoring. “The implication that this is some kind of panacea? We’ve been here before,” Ian warns. “We are absolutely going to oppose any involvement of private sector companies in effectively employing forced labour to do societal work. That was the disaster of Transforming Rehabilitation. We won’t let that happen again.”
The review also hints at the introduction of AI into day-to-day probation work. Ian is unconvinced. “Serious issues remain about the effectiveness of AI. The magic solution we need is face-to-face contact by trained professionals. Not vanity projects.”
“More with less”
While the review sets out a potentially positive direction, it’s based on several bold assumptions that a fully resourced probation service already exists. “It’s asking staff to do even more with even less,” Ian says. “And that’s why we’re pursuing a robust pay strategy. We’ve told ministers directly: probation is a special case.”
For a service still reeling from TR and years of underinvestment, the prospect of taking on more responsibility without matching resource is a red line. “Without our work, the criminal justice system would collapse. It really is that simple.”
Gimmicks over strategy?
When asked about headline-grabbing ideas like chemical suppression, Ian doesn’t hold back. “Serious issues are being tainted by political gimmickry,” he says. “Chemical castration rings a number of badly sounding bells.”
One particularly galling example, he notes, is the “disastrous” decision to cut sex offender programmes. A cut he insists must be reversed. “That campaign isn’t over. And I’ve reminded both Lord Timpson and the Lord Chancellor of that.”
A crisis of confidence
So what does the review say to those still in the service? For some, not much. “Many members have reached the end of their tether,” Ian admits. “We see the attrition and sickness rates. You can’t just replace a probation officer overnight. It takes up to two years to train someone properly. And worryingly, new recruits are leaving before they even qualify.”
There’s also a growing disconnect between frontline staff and those at the top. “There’s a palpable lack of faith in senior leadership within HMPPS. Members keep telling me: ‘Prisons get all the money. We don’t.’ And they’re right.”
Where does Napo stand?
Through it all, Ian is clear that Napo isn’t just watching — it’s fighting back. “It’s taken years to recover from the egregious damage of TR. And yes, we’re still talking about it, because the impact is still being felt. But we’re not standing still. We’re engaging with ministers, launching campaigns like Operation Protect, and making the case for probation to finally break away from the prison-centric model.”
His message to members is simple: “This is a member-led union. Your voice directs us. Get involved, speak up, recruit others. We’re strongest when we organise — and we are in this together.”
To hear the full conversation with Ian Lawrence, tune in to the latest episode of the Napo Podcast.
