The '
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman'' (PPO) is a public body, in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...
, appointed by the
Secretary of State for Justice
The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the Un ...
to investigate complaints from
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
ers, those subject to
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
supervision, young people in detention (prisons and secure training centres) and immigration detainees. The organisation is also responsible for investigating all deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, approved premises’ residents and immigration detainees due to any cause, including any apparent suicides and natural causes. The PPO also investigates deaths of recently released prisoners or detainees, using their discretionary powers. Originally the PPO had no jurisdiction over the investigation of deaths in prisons or probation hostels.
History
The PPO was established as the Prisons Ombudsman in 1994 following a report into the
1990 Strangeways Prison riot
The 1990 Strangeways Prison 'riot' was a 25-day prison protest and occupation at Strangeways Prison in Manchester, England. The protest began on 1 April 1990 when prisoners took control of the prison chapel, and quickly spread throughout most ...
.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman's independence was challenged in 2000 by Mary Seneviratne who stated, "the Prisons Ombudsman does not meet the criteria of independence, because he
ic.is appointed by and accountable to the
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national s ...
." Although the PPO is no longer appointed by the Home Secretary, they are still appointed by a
Secretary of State, who is a member of
HM Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
.
Jurisdiction and powers
The '
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman'' (PPO) is a public body, in
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...
, appointed by the
Secretary of State for Justice
The secretary of state for justice, also referred to as the justice secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the Un ...
to investigate complaints from
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
ers, those subject to
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
supervision, young people in detention (prisons and secure training centres) and immigration detainees. The organisation is also responsible for investigating all deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, approved premises’ residents and immigration detainees due to any cause, including any apparent suicides and natural causes. The PPO also investigates deaths of recently released prisoners or detainees, using their discretionary powers.
Originally the PPO had no jurisdiction over the investigation of deaths in prisons or probation hostels. The PPO employs a number of Investigators who are responsible for investigating the complaints made, making decisions on individual cases, and making any relevant recommendations.
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
As of October 2018, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is Sue McAllister CB; who replaced Acting Ombudsman, Elizabeth Moody. Elizabeth replaced Nigel Newman was originally appointed in June 2011, and his tenure was extended several times. The PPO is paid an annual salary of £100,000.
References
External links
Official website
{{Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)
Ombudsmen in England
Ombudsmen in Wales