Julian Le Vay: Thoughts on Government
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Did you know that our prisons are doing better than ever?

5/7/2017

1 Comment

 
That's what the latest re-offending statistics say. That just as the prison system descended into the worst crisis in a generation, post Grayling, prisons were doing their job better and better:

Adult proven re-offending rate, %

Picture

It is high time we question the current assumption that changes in the re-offending rate measure the performance of the prison or probation services. Plainly,  they do not, or at least, they don't measure marginal changes in any reliable way. Any more than changes in the crime rate measure the performance of the police. 

We must therefore ditch the ideological-driven nonsense of  payment by results (PBR), not least  because it is is likely to reward the CRCs which are failing so badly according to many inspection  reports, including the recent coruscating one on 'Through the gate' services, see my last article -  and which would collapse altogether, had not the MoJ agreed to stuff more money into them, quite irrespective of what results they achieve. 

Not such much payment by  results as money for old rope.

1 Comment
Mr BW
7/7/2017 11:18:05 am

Could it be just a time lag?

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    I was formerly Finance Director of the Prison Service and then Director of the National Offender Management Service responsible for competition. I also worked in the NHS and an IT company. I later worked for two outsourcing companies.

    Now retired, I write about criminal justice policy (or the lack of it), cultivate our allotment and make glass.

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