Senior probation officers have criticised the government’s plans to reduce the role of the Probation Service by offering private companies and charities a contract based on payments by results in the management of offenders. The Ministry of Justice’s record in money saving schemes Is not good. One only needs to look at the fatally flawed scheme to provide interpreter provision in the courts through one provider to see this. The MoJ were warned by the profession of the dangers but did it anyway because we the taxpayer always pick up the bill when things go wrong.