Nearly one in ten probation hostels in England and Wales, where the most dangerous offenders are housed after prison, have been forced to close due to a staffing crisis. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that nine out of 105 approved premises are currently shut, with untrained security guards sometimes substituting for probation staff. The closures come as ministers prepare for the early release of thousands of inmates in September.
Staffing Shortages Lead to Closures
A leaked memo revealed that staffing challenges have caused temporary closures of these heavily supervised facilities. It remains unclear when any of the closed hostels will reopen. The MoJ acknowledged that security guards are occasionally used to fill gaps, raising concerns about inadequate training and oversight.
Martin Jones, HM Inspector of Probation, warned that the public is being endangered by the closures and the reliance on untrained staff. “Approved premises are where the highest risk individuals go after release, and it is vital that as many places are available with properly trained staff. If security guards are doing probation officers' jobs, there is a big risk of things going wrong and the public being put in danger,” he said.
Impact on High-Risk Offenders
Approved premises supervise about 2,000 criminals across England and Wales who are considered too dangerous for direct community release. Residents often struggle with drug and alcohol problems and complex mental health needs, staying in hostels for eight to 12 weeks. They can be recalled to prison for refusing drug tests or room searches. Staff must monitor them closely, with rapid enforcement needed to prevent violent incidents, self-harm, and overdoses.
Insiders attribute the crisis to high stress levels and the expiry of contracts with private companies Sodexo and OCS, which provided overnight staff cover. A probation manager stated, “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 trying to harm themselves or others. It is stressful and leads to many staff taking time off with stress-related illnesses.”
Government Response and Union Criticism
Senior civil servants were aware of the problems. In a May email, Michelle Jarman-Howe, interim director general of operations at HMPPS, acknowledged the staffing challenges leading to temporary closures and praised staff for stepping in at short notice. The probation officers' union Napo surveyed 21 hostel staff last month, finding that 16 had witnessed security guards covering probation work. Napo 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. The use of security guards to fill gaps is totally unacceptable as these people are neither trained nor employed to work with people on probation.”
Inspections Reveal Serious Problems
Recent inspections have uncovered serious issues in approved premises. At Weston AP in Weymouth, Dorset, inspectors raised serious safeguarding concerns because staff failed to complete checks on residents at higher risk of overdose, key processes for suicide and self-harm prevention were not followed, and CCTV was faulty. An MoJ spokesperson confirmed that security guards are still used at the last minute to fill staffing gaps but stated, “While a handful of premises are temporarily closed, we have increased the total number of beds available in approved premises to accommodate more high-risk offenders and keep the public safe. Approved premises is just one way we manage offenders in the community. We have invested a record £700 million into probation and community services to ramp up tough supervision on released offenders, including punitive restrictions and round-the-clock tagging.”
