Nearly one in ten probation hostels in England and Wales have been forced to close due to a severe staffing crisis, with untrained security guards sometimes covering for probation staff, officials have confirmed. The closures affect nine out of 105 heavily supervised 'approved premises' that house the most dangerous offenders after their release from prison.
Staffing Shortages Lead to Closures
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that staffing challenges have led to temporary closures of these facilities. Untrained security guards are occasionally filling in for probation staff, raising concerns about public safety. It remains unclear when any of the closed hostels will reopen. The crisis comes as ministers prepare for the early release of thousands of inmates in September, including violent offenders.
Watchdog Warns of Public Danger
Martin Jones, HM Inspector of Probation, stated that the closures and reliance on untrained staff are putting the public at risk. 'Approved premises are the place where the highest risk individuals go after release, and it is vital that as many places are there for them and you have to get the right staff in place. If you have security guards doing their jobs, there is a big risk of things going wrong and the public being put in danger,' he said.
Inside the Probation Hostels
Approved premises supervise about 2,000 criminals across England and Wales who are considered too dangerous to release directly into the community. Residents often struggle with drug and alcohol problems and complex mental health needs. They typically stay in the hostels for eight to twelve weeks and can be recalled to prison if they refuse drug tests or room searches. Staff must monitor residents closely and take rapid enforcement action to prevent violent incidents, self-harm, and overdoses.
Root Causes of the Crisis
Insiders attribute the staffing crisis to high stress levels and the expiration of contracts with private companies Sodexo and OCS, which provided overnight staff cover at the hostels. A probation manager said, 'They've known this was coming for 18 months, we've not been supported to put staffing in place. The closures mean dangerous men don't get beds, somewhere someone will get hurt because they didn't get a hostel bed.' Another insider added, 'There is no room for mistakes, you are surrounded by high-risk people, many of whom are trying to harm themselves or others. It is stressful and leads to many staff taking time off with stress-related illnesses.'
Government Acknowledgment and Union Response
Senior civil servants have been aware of the staffing problems. In a May email to staff, Michelle Jarman-Howe, interim director general of operations at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), wrote, 'I want to acknowledge the recent staffing challenges which, at times, have led to the temporary closure of some approved premises. I know how hard colleagues have worked through this period often stepping in at short notice and going above and beyond to maintain safe services.'
The probation officers' union Napo surveyed 21 staff working in hostels last month, finding that 16 had witnessed security guards covering work usually performed by probation staff. Napo's general secretary, Ian Lawrence, said, 'We are seeing further closures due to an estate not fit for purpose, lengthy delays in vetting new staff and a badly managed process to bring private provider staff in house. Our approved premises estate needs significant investment if it is to provide the very much needed accommodation for high risk of harm people coming out of prison. The use of security guards to fill gaps in staffing numbers is totally unacceptable as these people are neither trained nor employed on the basis to work with people on probation.'
Inspections Reveal Serious Problems
Recent inspections by the probation watchdog have uncovered serious issues in approved premises. At Weston AP in Weymouth, Dorset, inspectors raised 'serious safeguarding concerns' because staff were not completing checks on residents at higher risk of overdose, key processes to tackle suicide and self-harm were not being followed, and there was faulty CCTV.
MoJ Response
An MoJ spokesperson confirmed that the probation service continues to use security guards at the last minute to fill staffing gaps. They said, 'While a handful of premises are temporarily closed, we have increased the total number of beds available in approved premises so we can accommodate more of the highest risk offenders and keep the public safe. Approved premises is just one way in which we manage offenders in the community. We have invested a record £700m into probation and community services so we can ramp up tough supervisions on offenders released from custody, including punitive restrictions on their movements and round-the-clock monitoring through tags.'
