Probation staff vote 91% for strike as government prepares to release 5,000 prisoners early

Napo union members voted 91% in favour of strike action, national chair Ben Cockburn announced on 11 August 2026. Cockburn said professionals were warning they "cannot protect the public properly when there are not enough people to do the work." The vote coincides with plans to release roughly 5,000 prisoners early, a scheme Napo previously called rushed. A strike would remove frontline probation capacity when the service faces increased caseloads.