Sarah's challenge to Justice Secretary on links to private companies delivering probation

Sarah Champion, the Member of Parliament for Rotherham, has spoken in Parliament this week to question the Justice Secretary's choice of Chief Inspector of Probation. Paul McDowell was appointed by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling in November 2013, but in recent weeks it has come to light that Mr McDowell's wife is the deputy managing director of a private justice company. That company was recently awarded a number of contracts to run probation services in England and Wales, raising questions about conflicts of interest within the probation service.

Since becoming Rotherham's MP in 2012, Sarah has actively campaigned against the privatisation of probation services, following representations from many concerned local probation officers. Despite Sarah's efforts, the Government pressed ahead with the plans, saying that the changes would reduce re-offending.

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