Revolving Doors responds to Leveson Review part two and Public Accounts Committee probation report
Sir Brian Leveson has presented the second part of his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, warning that the system is near collapse unless urgent action is taken. Alongside this, a report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised alarm about the strain faced by England and Wales’ probation services, with the service meeting just seven of 27 performance targets in 2024-25, and their ability to support public protection and reduce reoffending. We are reckoning with a criminal justice system in crisis.
Pavan Dhaliwal, Chief Executive of Revolving Doors, said:
“The criminal justice system is not a ‘system’ at all. After decades of underinvestment and fractured, short-term responses, we are reckoning with a fragmented collection of silos, resulting in services that fail to meet urgent need.
For the 50,000 people in the revolving door of repeat offending, we must prioritise addressing unmet health and social needs before they come into contact with courts and probation in the first place.
A whole-system approach, offering lifelines such as sustainable housing, mental health, treatment for addictions, early diversion and peer support services, is the evidenced way to break the cycle. The Government must not only properly resource police, courts, probation and health interventions that provide a cohesive response to repeat offending but also ensure it is through a locally driven whole system joined up approach.”
Revolving Doors is a leading voice in calls for probation reform. Our 2022 Lived Experience Inquiry Into Probation drew on insights from 141 people with lived experience and 35 probation practitioners to offer practical recommendations for reform of the Probation Service. Since then, we have continued to offer expert commentary and research about how probation can support those in the revolving door, using real-world evidence to shape change.
