Napo continues to raise urgent concerns with HMPPS on the impact on workload, for staff in the community as well as in custody, resulting from the recent expansion of the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme from 135 days to 180 days.
Following a pattern of behaviour previously seen in relation to the infamous changes to the parole process last year there was no process of consultation with the Probation trade unions before changes to the legislation were made in Parliament by way of a Statutory Instrument in early February. The Government’s claims that this is motivated by an effort to promote rehabilitation stretch credibility beyond breaking point given their record since 2010. Given the ongoing overcrowding crisis in prisons in England and Wales the acknowledgement by officials that the expansion of HDC will “free up between 400 and 600 prison places” almost certainly reveals the true motivation behind this expansion.
On becoming aware of this matter Napo has challenged the inability or unwillingness of senior leaders in HMPPS to acknowledge the increased pressure this will place on front-line staff working in the community and prisons. In addition to this we have also raised significant concerns on the potential risk to the members of the public that elements of this expansion may represent. We have sought an urgent meeting with relevant HMPPS staff on this issue and are awaiting a date for this to take place. Napo has also challenged a planned ‘clarification’ document on this issue that was to have been sent out to all staff this week due to a range of errors and queries this raised for us, with a request that this be suspended pending further urgent discussions.
We have received contributions from members since this expansion of HDC was made public and would ask that these continue to be provided to enable us to evidence – on an anonymised basis – the impact on staff this has caused.