Two companies to run more than half of privatised probation services

Two outsourcing companies, Sodexo and Interserve, are to be put in charge of more than half of probation services in England and Wales under the most far-reaching privatisation in the criminal justice system.

Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, said the companies, in partnership with rehabilitation charities, were the preferred bidders to run 11 of the 21 planned community rehabilitation companies (CRCs ) that will take over probation early next year. They will be responsible for more than half the probation staff supervising 200,000 low- to medium-risk offenders.

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