THE way in which inmates are monitored on release from prison is set for significant changes after the Government announced plans to recruit private companies to supervise offenders.

The shake up will see low to medium risk offenders, unpaid work programmes and victim support supervised by charities and private companies in the area.

Cheshire Probation Service will continue to supervise those deemed to be high risk.

Ministers say it will provide a better service for less, but the move has been criticised by union Napo which says it is ‘incensed’ by a ‘blatant attack on jobs’.

Kevin McIntyre, Napo Cheshire branch chairman, said: “This astonishing decision flies in the face of all available evidence.

“During 2012 every probation trust in England and Wales met its target and of the 35 trusts, 31 were showing good performance, and four were showing exceptional performance.

“The decision is all the more baffling given the inadequate performance of the private sector in probation so far.

“Tagging has been around for over 15 years, yet there is no evidence that it has any impact on re-offending rates.

“Probation facilities management, such as cleaning and property maintenance, was privatised five years ago and that has been an abysmal, expensive, failure.”

A spokesman for Cheshire Probation Trust said it would continue to work alongside the Government.

He said: “Cheshire Probation Trust is continuing to work through the reforms and the subsequent implications for Cheshire and Warrington.

“Cheshire Probation Trust will be actively working alongside its partners to implement the Government's reforms and facilitate the move to the new service delivery model.”

The Government says the proposals will help reduce the risk of re-offending.

That claim was questioned by The Probation Chiefs Association, which represents senior leaders in the probation service.

Sarah Billiald, PCA spokesman, said: "The Government says they are not taking risks with public safety and yet, by fragmenting the current provision between higher and lower risk offenders, that is exactly what they are doing."

"The more disjointed the system, the higher the risk that something will go wrong."