The Financial Times reported on Sunday, 10 August, that Manzoni (pictured) had “disclosed that a decision about whether to proceed with an ‘ambitious’ plan to outsource some probation services to the private and voluntary sectors would not be taken until the end of the summer.” Sources at the centre of government confirmed to CSW that no decision on whether to go ahead will be made until the end of the bid assessment process.
Manzoni’s use of the word “ambitious” emphasises the risks involved in the outsourcing – risks exacerbated by the compressed timetable. Antonia Romeo, the MoJ’s director general for criminal justice, acknowledged to CSW in April that there is “a timing issue, because the government’s policy is to roll it out by 2015, so we can really start feeling the effects in reductions to reoffending.” And very senior officials have previously told CSW that the scheme is one of the highest-risk programmes currently underway in government.
Tania Bassett, spokeswoman for Napo - the trade union and professional association representing over 8000 members working in probation and family courts - said: “It has been clear to us from the start that the secretary of state's timetable for this privatisation programme is dangerously rushed and even his own advisors stated in the leaked risk register last year that it was an aggressive timetable.
"There have been a number of potential bidders pulling out of the programme due to the high financial risks, in particular the probation mutuals and the third sector, leaving a monopoly of large private sector companies being the only ones able to take such a risk on these contracts.
"This is a deeply flawed privatisation programme that should be halted as a matter of urgency so that the whole Transforming Rehabilitation programme can be reviewed before vast sums of tax payers money is gambled away of expensive contracts that are not fit for purpose or able to deliver.”
An MoJ spokesman, who emphasised that it is standard practice for the MPA to give its final sign-off before contract award of major projects, said: "These reforms are essential if we are to break the depressing cycle of re-offending that currently sees almost half of all prison-leavers return to crime within a year.
"Living with the status quo just means accepting more crime and more victims, and that is not acceptable. The competition is on track and we have good coverage of quality and innovative bids in each contract area.
"We are on course to award contracts by the end of this year.”
An MPA spokesperson has said “We do not consider that John Manzoni has ever signalled this programme will be halted.”