Colchester offenders need more support from probation, report says

Essex North probation service, which monitors ex-prisoners released into the community and offenders serving community or suspended sentences, has been rated as requires improvement by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation.

Despite failing to pass the inspection, the unit – which serves Colchester Magistrates’ Court, Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, and Chelmsford Crown Court – has improved from its inadequate rating in 2022.

Support - individuals convicted at Colchester Magistrates' Court are often supported by probation services to ensure they adhere to requirements of a sentence (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

That report concluded “there was a lack of focus” on finding out why individuals offended before they were released.

In the most recent inspection conducted this year, however, officials noted the quality of leadership had vastly improved – though the delivery of services remained inadequate.

In only 34 per cent of cases was assessment of offenders sufficiently focused on keeping people safe, the report found.

One section read: “In too many cases practitioners appeared to see the obtaining of safeguarding and domestic abuse information as the objective; rather than using it while undertaking an assessment of the person’s risk, or potential risk.

“We saw numerous examples of information, for instance, being obtained that said the person being assessed was known to children’s services but with little detail as to why that was.”

Another section of the report said the level of contact probation had with individuals was “unsatisfactory”.

“In only 22 out of 49 cases, other than when non-compliance had been a factor, was contact sufficient to reduce reoffending and support desistance,” the report said.

Sentences - probation often meet with defendants after they are sentenced at a crown court (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said a “crisis” in the prison system was to blame for the failures.

He said: “The prison system is in crisis which is putting significant pressure on the whole justice system.

“We are gripping the situation and supporting our hardworking staff by improving training and recruiting 1,000 more probation officers nationally to deliver robust supervision and protect the public.”