Ministry of Justice

Capacity and competition policy for prisons and probation

Date: 27 April 2009

Probation officer supervising offender

Document setting out the government’s policy to increase capacity and improve the quality and value for money of prison and probation services.


The government will use this policy to provide innovative and effective services to punish and reform offenders and improve services offered to victims and the wider public.

The policy has been drawn up by the Criminal Justice Group of the Ministry of Justice and will be implemented by the National Offender Management Service, with the involvement of the voluntary and community sector and commercial providers.