Interserve, Sodexo and GEO Group have been included as part of the preferred bidders for 21 criminal probation service contracts worth a total of £450 million a year.

According to a recent article, Britain plans to outsource more of this work and those chosen will be responsible for running the bulk of Britain's rehabilitation centres for around 200,000 low and medium-risk offenders, which includes overseeing community orders and supervising unpaid work. Others chosen include seven private firms, sixteen charities and voluntary organisations and four probation staff mutuals.

French supplier Sodexo was provisionally awarded six contracts in partnership with the offenders rehabilitation charity NACRO, while British based Capita did not win any of the contracts it applied for. Interserve has been selected for five contracts as part of a partnership with social enterprise firm 3SC and charities Addaction, P3 and Shelter with the collective value of Interserve’s contracts expected to be worth around 600 million pounds over seven years. Another consortium chosen includes four charities and Amey (British subsidiary of the Spanish group Ferrovial) which has been awarded two contracts. G4S and Serco were banned from bidding.

Contractors will only be paid in full if reoffending rates fall and work is expected to commence early next year.

The changes represent the largest level of outsourcing of probation services in the world. It means 70% of the work will be contracted out to private companies and the voluntary sector.

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