In response to the justice secretary's intention to get tough (Report, 10 October), as the newly formed Independent Probation Alliance we challenge the assumption that this will reduce crime. It is telling that Chris Grayling's party conference speech did not once mention the probation service, which is responsible for supervising and managing offenders in the community. Still more disturbing is the removal of probation from the minister's title so that now he is responsible for prisons and rehabilitation ? signalling the demise of a key national service?

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