LABOUR must pledge to immediately bring the entire criminal justice system back into public ownership, undoing the “disastrous” privatisation of the sector, the conference of probation union Napo heard yesterday.

Napo is holding its first annual general meeting since large sections of the government’s rehabilitation programme were handed over to the private sector last December.

Under the new framework, all but the most serious cases are farmed out to regional “community rehabilitation companies,” run by privateers such as outsourcing giant Sodexo.

The conference is set to consider three motions — one suggesting amalgamation with other unions in light of privatisation, another on job losses and a third on the abolition of the check-off system of collecting members’ subs.

These proposals are likely to face strong opposition from some sections of the union.

Yesterday, delegates praised newly elected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for energising the trade union movement after the setback of the Tories’ election victory in May.

The justice unions all-party parliamentary group co-ordinator Simeon Andrews praised Mr Corbyn for putting unions back at the heart of political debate.

But he urged: “What we want now is an unshakeable commitment from Labour to bring the whole of probation back into the public sector at the earliest opportunity.

“And not just probation but the whole of the criminal justice system, properly funded and back in the public sector.”

His call was echoed by Napo general secretary Ian Lawrence, who told the Star: “Our members in the probation service are now feeling the full weight of these disastrous changes.

“Napo will continue to do all we can to defend our members’ interests.

“We will also be embarking on a nationwide exercise to highlight the dangers of the Trade Union Bill.”