News Archive

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News Archive

This archive contains press items from or about the Probation Association or its predecessor the Probation boards' Association and wider comment from the media.

Throughout this section, you can click on any part of the item details to view/print or save the document you require.
Items are listed in reverse order of release time/date.
Where the filesize is shown the item is available directly from this website.
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Item	Dateline
'From Aspirations to Reality' - An Inspection of the Governance of Probation Areas by Probation Boards Home Office	2003
100 years old - and looking frail Guardian	5th July 2007
Public 'should decide spending on prisons' Daily Telegraph	4th July 2007
Probation Service hits peak performance in Centenary week (36 Kbytes)	5th June 2007
Top judge attacks 'trapdoor to prison' Guardian	3rd May 2007
Obituary: Tom Williamson Moderniser whose reforms changed police procedure Guardian	14th March 2007
Brief encounter Why didn't the Lord Chief Justice comment when John Reid attacked the sentence passed on a sex offender last June? Daily Telegraph	1st March 2007
Tories vow big changes to probation service bill FT.com	1st March 2007
Transcript: Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive Martin Wargent interview on BBC R4 Today about the Offender Management Bill *(114 Kbytes)*	28th February 2007
Government staves off revolt on justice bill Reuters	28th February 2007
Transcript: Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive Martin Wargent interview on BBC R4 Today about the Offender Management Bill *(114 Kbytes)*	28th February 2007
Probation bill "a complete mess" inthenews.co.uk	28th February 2007
Tories urged not to vote against probation bill FT.com	28th February 2007
Government faces probation defeat BBC News	28th February 2007
The turbo-Thatcherites can't see the limits of privatisation Guardian	28th February 2007
MPs 'will fight Offender Bill' icEssex	28th February 2007
Dissenting Labour MPs force government climbdown on bill to privatise probation Guardian	27th February 2007
Selby MP John Grogan rebels over offender plan Yorkshire Press	10th February 2007
Britain needs to change its attitude on prisons The Universe	9th February 2007
Home Office compact attacked as 'grubby' Financial Times	9th February 2007
Political briefing: This year's model Guardian	9th February 2007
Prison Service told to make £240m cuts Times	9th February 2007
Our judges have had enough 'messages' from ministers Guardian	6th February 2007
Crime meetings 'cut re-offences' BBC News	5th February 2006
Prisons inspector criticises round-up of freed foreign inmates Guardian	3rd February 2007
Why more inmates are reoffenders BBC News	30th January 2007
Community groups to have say in court alongside victims Guardian	29th January 2007
One hundred years of non-penal servitude Guardian	29th January 2007
John Reid: Work has only begun (Guardian) Home Office	29th January 2007
Reid urged to free thousands as jail conditions worsen Times	29th January 2007
My solution to the crisis in our prisons - Harry Woolf, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, 2000-2005 Times	29th January 2007
Youth justice chief who challenged ministers Telegraph	27th January 2007
One crisis follows another Guardian	27th January 2007
*Letter from Rory Love, Deputy Chair, Kent Probation Board* Telegraph	27th January 2007
Public at risk from prison overcrowding Independent	24th January 2007
Jail system at breaking point again Independent	24th January 2007
Government accused of negligence over 'blocked' prisons Independent	24th January 2007
Reid urges courts to send fewer people to jail Guardian	24th January 2007
Cut-price justice fails crime victims, say JPs Times	23rd January 2007
Reid proposes splitting Home Office into ministries of national security and justice Guardian	22nd January 2007
Wrong fit for purpose Guardian	22nd January 2007
Prisons don't need competition to make them more efficient Guardian	18th January 2007
Prisoners held at court as jails fill up Times	17th January 2007
Prisons are full to bursting point in new blow to Reid Daily Mail	17th January 2007
Protection of public first duty of criminal justice system - Hanson Northern Ireland Office	16th January 2007
It's official: why prisoners aren't going straight Independent	16th January 2007
One in five Home Office statistics are unreliable, says department head Guardian	16th January 2007
Indeterminate life terms futile, says parole board chief Guardian	10th January 2007
The cost of crime and punishment Belfast Telegraph	11th January 2007
Ministers knew about records error Guardian	11th January 2007
Cheap alternative option that has come at a cost Times	11th January 2007
Police fury at Home Office blunder on criminal data Guardian	10th January 2007
Blunders leave 500 offenders 'missing' Times	10th January 2007
Judges use never-ending sentences too often, complains parole chief Times	10th January 2007
Probation Boards' Association announces the appointment of new Chief Executive (28 Kbytes)	9th January 2007
Top judges revolt over reform of sentencing Times	8th January 2007
Security fear as prisoners are told: you have e-mail Times	2nd January 2007
Scandal of killers in open jails Guardian	31st December 2006
Nine property companies poised to convert to Reits Telegraph	30th December 2006
Probation data flawed, says union BBC	30th December 2006
Healthcare Watchdogs Call For Consistency In Drug Treatment Throughout Country Medical News Today	30th December 2006
2007: the year to come The Guardian predicts a cash-strapped year	29th December 2006
Crime fight 'needs fresh ideas' BBC	24th December 2006
Offender learning for employment - increasing the pace of reform GNN (Government News Network)	13th December 2006
Too much faith in third sector fizz Guardian	13th December 2006
Yesterday in parliament A bid to break the "monopoly" of the probation service and introduce private sector management of offenders ran into stiff Labour backbench opposition in the Commons. Guardian	12th December 2006
Don't blame probation officers for this reoffending Guardian	12th December 2006
Move towards voluntary sector and private firms Guardian	7th December 2006
YMCA response to the proposed Offender Management Bill	added 7th December 2006
Public Services and the Third Sector Public Servant	6th December 2006
Probation Boards' Association Critique of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) (48 Kbytes)	December 2006
Probation Boards' Association Issues its Initial reaction to the Offender Management Bill (33 Kbytes)	4th December 2006
East of England Regional Offender Management Pathfinder Project Serco Press Release	4th December 2006
Sheriffs attack 'prison plus' flagship policy Glasgow Herald	4th December 2006
Letter from Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive Martin Wargent about the Offender Management Bill (37 Kbytes)	1st December 2006
1 in every 32 U.S. adults behind bars, on probation or on parole in 2005 Daily Mail	30th November 2006
Leading article: New Labour's reactionary agenda has failed Independent	30th November 2006
Is the criminal justice system fair? Independent	30th November 2006
Inmates verdicts: 'Nothing to do except sink further into the system and depression' Independent	30th November 2006
Soaring prison population sparks safety fears Independent	30th November 2006
'Dishonest' custody bill under fire for ignoring fears on early release Scotsman	30th November 2006
More people in UK prisons than ever before Telegraph	30th November 2006
Lord Ramsbotham exclusive: Justice system is absurd. Broken. Chaotic Independent	30th November 2006
Prison population at record 80,000 Yahoo! News	29th November 2006
Falconer launches community courts ePolitix.com	27th November 2006
Prison figures show a link between sex crime and religion The Times	25th November 2006
Cockle picker Crimefighters scoop Top Justice Award GNN (Government News Network)	24th November 2006
'It's social needs on the cheap' Is the voluntary sector ready to become the new welfare state? Guardian	22nd November 2006
"Local Crime, Community Sentence" project publishes 2005-2006 Evaluation Results	20th November 2006
SmartJustice urges government to start listening to the public about crime (54 Kbytes)	20th November 2006
Storm over paedophile age claims IC Wales	20th November 2006
Outspoken police chief is no stranger to controversy IC Wales	20th November 2006
Circles watching over high-risk paedophiles The Telegraph	20th November 2006
Treasury cuts Reid jail plan Times Online	19th November 2006
Interview with John Raine, Probation Boards' Association Chair, about the Home Secretary's Speech of 7th November BBC R4 Today Read a Transcript of the Interview (23 Kbytes) Download to listen later (4 Mbytes) Click here to listen now(4min 20sec)	18th November 2006
Probation chief criticises Reid BBC News	17th November 2006
Reid accused of misleading public on probation lapses The Times	17th November 2006
Blair renews battle for 90-day detention of terror suspects Independent	17th November 2006
Reply to John Raine's letter from Gerry Sutcliffe, MP, Under Secretary of State (426 Kbytes)	17th November 2006
Queen's Speech: Tough on crime, again Guardian	16th November 2006
Probation board shake-up looms communitycare.co.uk	16th November 2006
'Smarter justice' plans aim to rebalance system in favour of victim Guardian	16th November 2006
Letter sent to the Home Secretary by John Raine, Probation Boards' Association Chair, concerning his speech at Wormwood Scrubs on 7th November (62 Kbytes)	13th November 2006
Competitive instinct The government is determined to press ahead with controversial plans to reform the probation service The Guardian	8th November 2006
Reid backs role for business in probation services Financial Times	8th November 2006
Private firms asked to rescue probation service Daily Telegraph	8th November 2006
The Home Secretary's speech on Offender Management delivered at Wormwood Scrubs Home Office website	7th November 2006
Transcripts of interviews given by Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive, on the topic of Bail Hostels and the performance of the Probation Service BBC Radio 5 Live (6th November) (33 Kbytes) BBC Radio4 Today Programme (40 Kbytes) BBC Radio 5 Live (49 Kbytes) BBC Television One O’clock News (46 Kbytes)	7th November 2006
The Coalition on Social and Criminal Justice publishes Neighbourhood by Neighbourhood: Local Action to Reduce Re-offending (793 Kbytes) Next Steps Article by Rory Love (Probation Boards' Association Board Member and Deputy Chairman, Kent Probation Board) (115 Kbytes)	7th November 2006 7th November 2006
The Local Probation Boards (Appointment and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 The proposed amendment to the Statutory Instrument (399 Kbytes) The Probation Boards' Association note on the Statutory Instrument (18 Kbytes)	6th November 2006
When Monty met the drug addicts Monty Don's Growing Out of Trouble suggests that not everything in the garden is lovely Observer	5th November 2006
Two Important New Probation Boards' Association Publications 5 Principles for a modern Probation Service (69 Kbytes) The Future Governance of Probation (68 Kbytes)	1st November 2006
On the wrong side of the law Young offenders are being denied mental health support to which they are legally entitled Guardian	1st November 2006
Youth justice system 'in crisis' BBC	24th October 2006
Community service? The Chief Justice knows more than most The Times	24th October 2006
Sex offender numbers show sharp rise The Independent	24th October 2006
Keeping communities safe: multi-agency public protection arrangements GNN (Government News Network)	23rd October 2006
Commons clash over re-offending epolitix.com	23rd October 2006
Gardener Monty Don's mission to save the misfits Daily Mail	21st October 2006
'Supervised' criminals continue crime wave Daily Telegraph	21st October 2006
For Reference: Restructuring Probation to Reduce Re-offending Home Office Consultation Paper (52 Kbytes)	20th October 2005
'Recalled' prisoners add to jail cells crisis Observer	15th October 2006
Speech by Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive to the Napo AGM and Conference 2006, Eastbourne (25 Kbytes)	11th October 2006
Prison Overcrowding including response from Probation Boards' Association ePolitix.com	11th October 2006
'Yes, that's me with the spade.' How top judge turned convict Observer	8th October 2006
Madness of dustbin jails - by Lord Chief Justice Observer	8th October 2006
Police cells ready as jail crisis looms Guardian	24th September 2006
Report of the independent inquiry into the care and treatment of Michael Stone NHS South East Coast	25th September 2006
Care system 'fails young people' BBC News Online	21st September 2006
Should the police, probation service and prisons do more to protect the public from newly-released criminals? Interview with Martin Wargent BBC Radio4 Today Programme Click here to listen again	8th September 2006
Home Office attacked over crime figures Daily Telegraph	6th September 2006
A nightmare world of security and paranoia A recently released prisoner writes on life inside Socialist Worker	2nd September 2006
Don't put suspects in jail, use bail, says Reid London Evening Standard	29th August 2006
Millions advanced for crisis-hit NHS system The Observer	27th August 2006
It's not always good to share A government plan for data sharing between public bodies threatens to further undermine civil liberties The Guardian	24th August 2006
Teachers 'have lost courage to tackle bad behaviour' The Times Online	21st August 2006
War on youth crime is 'demonising teens' The Guardian	20th August 2006
Drugs and corruption are rife in our prisons. We must clean them up. The Observer	20th August 2006
Borrowed time Whoever took the decision to let out 30,000 prisoners early should be embarrassed and ashamed The Guardian	18th August 2006
Young at heart Rather than protecting the public, prison only serves to criminalise offenders SocietyGuardian	16th August 2006
Inside those walls It's never going to be easy to root out drugs from prison SocietyGuardian	16th August 2006
Prisoners may go free early to cut overcrowding Reuters	16th August 2006
Jail doesn't work, say crime victims Observer	13th August 2006
Reid shelves tougher sentencing plan Daily Express	8th August 2006
Corruption widespread in prisons, report says Guardian Special Report: Prisons	31st July 2006
Review of Lord Puttnam's Probation Boards' Association Lecture in The Justice of the Peace (194 Kbytes)	15th July 2006
2006 Probation Boards' Association General Meeting (129 Kbytes) Gerry Suttcliffe, MP Speech and Question and Answer Session (114 Kbytes)	29th June 2006
2006 Probation Boards' Association Annual Conference Opening Remarks John Raine, Chair, The Probation Boards' Association (26 Kbytes) The Keynote Speeches Judge David Fletcher, QC (47 Kbytes) Caroline Seymour Local Government Association (36 Kbytes) Clive Martin Director, Clinks (46 Kbytes) Judge John Samuels, QC (26 Kbytes) David Chantler Chief Officer, West Mercia Probation Board (39 Kbytes) Question and Answer Session Chaired by John Raine (59 Kbytes)	29th June 2006
Lord Puttnam delivers Probation Boards' Association 2006 Annual Lecture: ‘Crime; the press, politicians and the public…time for a rethink?’ (114 Kbytes) Transcript of complete lecture (1,052 Kbytes)	29th June 2006
The future of Probation Boards Probation Boards' Association discussion paper on the future governance of Probation (101 Kbytes)	June 2006
Reid 'has left abusers without supervision' The Observer	25th June 2006
Business pushes for greater role Financial Times/ft.com	24th June 2006
'Media more influential than MPs' The Guardian	23rd June 2006
Back off, chief judge tells politicians The Observer	18th June 2006
The prisons are full. We have to find new remedies Leader The Observer	11th June 2006
The prison trick Essay by David Wilson The Guardian	17th June 2006
Making policy out of panic Leader The Guardian	16th June 2006
Blair to launch overhaul of criminal justice Guardian Online	16th June 2006
A quick fix is a bad law Duncan Campbell The Guardian	15th June 2006
Falconer pledges sentencing review Guardian Online	15th June 2006
Probation Boards' Association PRESS RELEASE Response to Home Office statistics on performance for the Probation Service (89 Kbytes)	14th June 2006
Naomi Bryant Murder Transcript of interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive BBC1 One O'clock News	10th May 2006
Naomi Bryant Murder Transcript of interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive BBC Radio 5 Live (72 Kbytes)	10th May 2006
Naomi Bryant Murder Transcript of interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive BBC Radio 4 Today Programme (57 Kbytes)	10th May 2006
Killer's human rights 'put above public safety' The Independent	10th May 2006
Probation Boards' Association PRESS RELEASE Response to the National Audit Office Report: The Management of Staff Sickness Absence in the National Probation Service (72 Kbytes)	26th April 2006
Superhostels BBC News24 Transcript of interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive (43 Kbytes)	25th April 2006
Superhostels BBC Breakfast News Transcript of interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive (56 Kbytes)	25th April 2006
Superhostels BBC Radio 4 Today Programme Transcript of interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive (51 Kbytes)	25th April 2006
Superhostels BBC Radio 4 Today Programme Report and interview with Martin Wargent, Probation Boards' Association Chief Executive (3m47s from start) Click here to listen now Click to download and listen later (6 Mbytes)	25th April 2006
We lock them up. We give them Asbos. But is our fear of kids making them worse? The Independent	25th April 2006
Parole Board interviews 'must be brought back' Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor, Daily Telegraph	24th April 2006
Even Michael Howard would blush at these reforms The Observer	23rd April 2006
Probation Boards' Association PRESS RELEASE Probation Boards' Association gives a cautious welcome to Charles Clarke’s initiative on an Order for controlling dangerous offenders (73 Kbytes)	20th April 2006
Killings prompt plea to restore pre-release interviews The Guardian	10th April 2006
What should jail be like by 2016? BBC News Online	9th April 2006
Insider looking out The chief inspector of probation, Andrew Bridges, talks about offender management The Guardian	5th April 2006
Probation Boards' Association PRESS RELEASE on CBI Response to NOMS Report (124 Kbytes)	31st March 2006
Probation Boards' Association PRESS STATEMENT in response to the Government’s response to the consultation on the future structure of probation (88 Kbytes)	30th March 2006
There's no ignoring probation's problems Alan Travis The Guardian	29th March 2006
Probation Boards' Association response to recent press coverage on the Probation Service (91 Kbytes)	28th March 2006
What future for probation? Article by Christine Leeson, Probation Boards' Association Communications and Information Manager