Recommendation 13

When speaking about the recent decline in the quality of resettlement services, HMPPS told us that it needs “good staffing levels to deliver the best services”.28 Although the number of probation officers increased following the service’s unification in June 2021, the number of unfilled roles has also increased and pressure on the Service is acute. In December 2022 1,762 out of 6,158 probation officer roles were unfilled, a vacancy rate of 29%. In 2021–22, 8% of probation officers and 15% of prison officers left the service, the highest levels in the last six years. As a result of these staff shortages, HMPPS is not completing all the resettlement work that it recognises is essential.29