Cuts to criminal justice services could undermine efforts to reduce crime in London’s East End, an MP fears.
Details of the cuts were revealed in figures given to MPs at Westminster by the London Probation Trust, showing savings of nearly �9 million over the next 12 months.
But the cuts will mean the trust having to reduce the number of probation officers, says Poplar & Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick.
“Probation Officers are crucial to making sure offenders are properly managed and are no longer engaging in crime,” he said.
“But put simply, fewer probation officers mean criminals have less supervision—this can’t be a good thing to help keep crime down.”
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has promised a ‘rehabilitation revolution’ by sending fewer people to prison and giving more ‘community’ sentences.
But the plan is being undermined by the “significant cuts” to the Ministry of Justice, it is feared, particularly in probation—the very service that is expected to run the new community sentencing.
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