Almost 160 more probation officers protecting public in the East
Record recruitment drive for probation officers to protect the public
Almost 160 new probation officers have been recruited in the East of England during the pandemic to help protect the public.
The 159 new recruits in our region are among the record 1,007 hired into the Probation Service, meeting a target set by the Government last July.
The Ministry of Justice says with reoffending accounting for around 80% of all recorded crime, these improvements to the service are designed to prevent thousands of people becoming victims each year and save some of the £18 billion annual cost of repeat offending.
Prisons and Probation Minister Alex Chalk said:
"Probation officers are unsung crime fighters, keeping a close eye on dangerous offenders and helping others turn their lives around so that they don't reoffend.
"These new recruits are a key part of our plan to make the country safer, alongside 20,000 more police officers, tougher sentences and the building of 18,000 new prison places."
What is a Probation Officer?
Probation Officers supervise offenders leaving prison on licence and those serving community sentences.
They work to protect the public by meeting regularly with offenders and ensuring they are complying with the conditions of their release from prison or sentence.
They also ensure offenders can access services that reduce the risk of reoffending, including drug and alcohol treatment, accommodation and education.
They also have the power to call offenders serving custodial sentences back to prison if they misbehave.