UK Ministry of Justice

Probation Professional Register Policy Framework Guidance

The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service have updated the Probation Professional Register Policy Framework, effective April 14, 2026. The framework establishes mandatory requirements for probation qualified staff in England and Wales regarding professional registration, professional standards, and loss of authority to practice. It supersedes Probation Instruction 31/2014 and applies to all staff employed in roles where the probation officer qualification is an essential job requirement.

HMPPS Information Management Policy Framework

The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) have published a policy framework setting out information management principles and responsibilities for HMPPS staff, contractors, agency staff, and third-party suppliers. The policy ensures compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, and Public Records Act 1958. Local Information Managers, Regional Information Security and Assurance Leads, and Heads of Business Assurance are specifically targeted as responsible parties.

Releases in Error, England and Wales, Apr 2025-Mar 2026

The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service published transparency data on releases in error in England and Wales for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The PDF document contains statistical data on individuals who were incorrectly released from custody during this period. This is an ad hoc transparency publication providing visibility into prison administration errors.

Government Response to Independent Review into Releases in Error

The UK Ministry of Justice has published its formal response to Dame Lynne Owens' Independent Review into Releases in Error. The government accepts all recommendations in principle, committing up to £82 million in investment over the Spending Review period to address prisoner release errors. The response focuses on three themes: improving victim communication, modernising systems through digitalization and AI, and simplifying court and prison processes to reduce sentence calculation errors.

Prison Digitalisation £82M to Cut Release Errors

The UK Ministry of Justice announced a £82 million programme to digitise the prison system and eliminate accidental prisoner releases. The package includes a new Justice ID system with biometric technology (fingerprints and facial scans) to track individuals from arrest through custody to community release. Up to £20 million will be deployed this financial year to digitise manual sentence calculation processes, with £8 million for recruiting 165 additional court staff.