Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date the supervision of people on short prison sentences by Community Rehabilitation Companies will begin.

Contracts were signed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Justice with the new owners of the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) on 18 December 2014. There was strong competition for these contracts in all regions, and all of the new owners have experience working with offenders or across the Criminal Justice System. On 1 February 2015, new owners will assume control of the CRCs and we will transition to the delivery of probation services under the new contracts.

The remaining provisions of the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 will also come into force on 1 February, including those which extend supervision after release to offenders released from sentences of more than 1 day but less than 12 months. The latter provisions apply to any offender whose offence was committed on or after 1 February 2015. As a result, there will be a gradual increase after that date in the number of offenders eligible for post-release supervision as cases flow through the courts.

Contracts with the CRCs will require them to supervise, and provide services to, any offender released from custody in their cohort on licence – including both offenders released from custodial sentences of 12 months or more and any released from shorter custodial sentences on licence.

Under the new contracts, CRCs are required to enter into subcontracts with the pre-approved Tier 2 or 3 providers named in the contracts, as soon as reasonably practicable after 1 February 2015 (and in any event within 6 months of that date). Additional Tier 2 and 3 providers may be added to the CRCs’ supply chains over time as needed, subject to the subcontracting arrangements stated in the contracts. To provide continuity of service provision, existing contracts have been novated to CRCs.

The mobilisation and transition phase of the Programme is being carried out in a controlled way that gives time for new processes to bed in and to ensure public safety at every stage.