Surge in serious crimes by ex-offenders on probation

Record figures coincide with the first five months of the Conservatives’ emergency move to free prisoners early iz

- ANDY GREGORY

The number of ex-offenders charged with committing serious crimes while on probation has surged by a third, hitting a grim new record, according to the latest figures.

Amid concerns over how the probation service will cope with the government’s early release of thousands of prisoners, new data revealed that probation units identified 770 occasions last year in which released criminals appeared in court accused of committing a serious further offence.

This figure—which includes crimes such as murder, rape, serious violence, and arson, allegedly committed while on probation or within 28 days of leaving the service’s supervision—represents a 33 percent increase in the year to 31 March 2024, compared to 579 in the previous year, according to the Ministry of Justice.

This is the highest number on record and coincides with the first five months of the government’s emergency move to free prisoners early. Victims’ advocates expressed concern to The Independent, stating that the increase is “very worrying,” while HM Chief Inspector of Probation warned that high caseloads and pressures on the overstretched probation service are undermining its ability to ensure public safety.

Probation officers have borne the brunt of emergency measures to ease the prison crisis, with more than 13,000 prisoners released up to 70 days early under Tory schemes since last October, and at least 3,000 more released 40 percent of the way into their sentence under Labour in recent months.