Justice Secretary Chris Grayling is presenting false evidence to justify the sell-off of the probation service, according to the probation officers’ union.

A pilot scheme offering support to male prisoners on their release was trumpeted by the government as “groundbreaking” and used as justification for privatising probation after it was shown to reduce re-offending by 12 per cent. 

But Napo was quick to point out that the scheme, involving voluntary-sector workers at HMP Peterborough, was with offenders serving less than 12 months — a group probation officers have never worked with.