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It is hard to think of a government programme more disastrous than Transforming Rehabilitation - a botched privatisation scheme that has seen criminals commit rape and murder while supposedly under supervision.

A damning report released today said "skyrocketing" numbers of offenders were being sent back to prison for violating licence conditions.

The privatised companies charged with supervising them from 2014 onwards were meant to save the government millions, but it is now expected to pay an extra £467m of taxpayers' money to repair the damage.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the Ministry of Justice had "set itself up to fail" by rushing through the reforms, with its then head - the ever-competent Chris Grayling - having ignored warnings over the consequences.

It found that the drastic overhaul was not properly tested, creating a dangerous experiment that played not just with public money, but with people's lives.

The government argues that public safety has actually improved because new rules mean more people are being monitored after being released from prison than before.

But that will be little comfort to the relatives of those killed by 225 convicted criminals charged with committing murder while supposedly under supervision by Community Rehabilitation Companies.

Once again, the trail leads back to austerity and the government's attempts to contract itself out of responsibility for the criminal justice system.

Securing parliamentary backing for increased public funding for rehabilitation is a hard task for any government.

Aside from the inevitable screaming headlines about "perks" for criminals and "soft-touch" justice, many people simply do not see offenders as their problem. But as the NAO findings confirm, they are everyone's problem.

However hard to stomach it may be to pay millions on improving prison conditions, providing better work and education opportunities, or helping inmates obtain housing and benefits on release, the consequences of not doing so are worse.

Offenders who are not rehabilitated reoffend. Criminals who see no alternative to crime carry on committing it. People rejected by society harm it.

Justice secretary David Gauke has deviated from his predecessors by expressing these truths, and moved to scrap probation contracts early and rewrite their terms.

But for many campaigners who have watched the service disintegrate for years, the proposals are merely a sticking plaster on a gaping wound.
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Chris Grayling's disastrous privatisation of probation risked lives

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It is hard to think of a government programme more disastrous than Transforming Rehabilitation - a botched privatisation scheme that has seen criminals commit rape and murder while supposedly under supervision. A damning report released today said "skyrocketing" numbers of offenders were being sent back to prison for violating licence conditions.

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The "appalling" scale of sexual abuse against children as young as 11 in detention centres has been revealed by a nationwide inquiry.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse ( IICSA) said that more than 1,000 incidents of alleged sexual abuse had been reported between 2009 and 2017.

Officials said the number was "shockingly high" and far above the level official figures previously suggested.

"Children held in young offender institutions and secure training centres are still not safe from sexual abuse," said a report, which condemned institutional failures to protect children from "appalling abuse" in England and Wales.

The Independent has previously revealed horrific abuse suffered by children held in youth detention centres in the 1970s and 1980s.

But IICSA heard evidence of recent abuse, including allegations that a female member of staff sexually touched children at Medway Secure Training Centre in 2015.

The year before, members of staff at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre allegedly allowed a young detainee to perform a perverse act on another.

The report included many other recent examples, often involving staff inappropriately touching children while searching or restraining them.

More than 1,100 children were alleged victims of sexual abuse in the nine-year period, with reports peaking in 2017, but "for reasons that were not always clear, the vast majority of allegations were not found to be substantiated".

Only nine alleged incidents resulted in criminal charges, of which four resulted in conviction.

The report said nine perpetrators had been dismissed, 10 staff members were reprimanded and 120 faced other action.

Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, said: "The harrowing accounts of non-recent child sexual abuse within custodial institutions were some of the worst cases this inquiry has heard.

"But I am also deeply disturbed by the continuing problem of child sexual abuse in these institutions over the last decade. It is clear these children, who are some of the most vulnerable in society, are still at risk of sexual abuse. I hope our report and recommendations can help protect them better in future."

Two weeks of public hearings in July were told that the number of children in custody has declined from over 3,000 in 2008 to around 900 children at any one time.

IICSA said detained children, who can be as young as nine, are vulnerable and often from unhappy and disrupted childhoods.

It warned that mental health disorders, learning disabilities and other vulnerabilities made some unlikely to report abuse.

And when they do, IICSA found complaints were "rarely investigated properly" in young offender institutions and secure training centres, where children are restrained, strip-searched and subjected to legal "pain compliance techniques" like bending their thumbs and wrists.

Officials said child detention centres had been historically underfunded and have "unacceptable" levels of staffing, turnover, morale and training.

"There is little doubt that the service was in crisis towards the end of the period under investigation," the report added.

Justice minister Edward Argar said called the report "shocking" but said the government had already recognised the need for "fundamental reform" of youth custody.

"As part of this we are already conducting an urgent review into safeguarding in the youth estate, are rolling out new specialist training for staff and have commissioned an independent review of pain inducing restraint techniques," he added.

"In addition, we increased frontline Youth Custody Service staff by over a third in 2018 and are completely changing our approach by investing in Secure Schools that will put education at heart of youth custody.

"There is still more to do and we are determined to improve the safety and welfare of those in our care."

In a statement to parliament, the home secretary said the government would review the report and respond in due course.

"I am grateful for the strength and courage of the victims and survivors who have shared their experiences to ensure the inquiry can deliver its vital work," Sajid Javid added.

"I would like to thank professor Jay and her panel for their continued work to uncover the truth, expose what went wrong in the past and to learn the lessons for the future."
We'll tell you what's true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That's why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks - all with no ads.
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'Appalling' sexual abuse of children in custody revealed by nationwide inquiry

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The "appalling" scale of sexual abuse against children as young as 11 in detention centres has been revealed by a nationwide inquiry. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said that more than 1,000 incidents of alleged sexual abuse had been reported between 2009 and 2017.

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Supreme court backs murderer with dementia in death penalty case

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In 5-3 decision, justices threw out Alabama state court ruling that Vernon Madison was legally eligible to be executed

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"We're criminalising more women than ever before." Prisoner rights activist.

"I have been to prison five times... I have been to prison for break and enter, driving while disqualified, driving under the influence of ice and escape police custody." Bekki.

Bekki has just walked out of prison after serving a six-month jail sentence. The cameras are rolling as she takes her first steps.

"It's great to be out...I've got some underwear, some papers and $50 and that's it." Bekki.

She's part of a fast growing group of criminals sentenced to jail in Australia. Across the nation, there are now more women in prison than ever before. And once they're out they're very likely to reoffend and end up back inside.

"I've been to prison four times. I was in prison for drug dealing. The hardest thing about staying out of prison is dealing with the isolation, the judgements, the stigma." Fran.

On Monday Four Corners investigates why so many women are going to jail by meeting three women who know exactly what it's like.

"Women's prisons are filled with stories of people like me." Bekki.

Filmed over three months, Bekki, Fran and Donna give raw and compelling accounts of their lives as they begin again on the outside.

"I need a job and I need a job fast. I am willing to do anything, you know, clean toilets if I have to. I don't care." Fran.

Each one must overcome their own demons while convincing the world around them that they are worth another chance.

"I have been to prison more than 30 times...The hardest thing for me to stay out of prison is being judged for my criminal history." Donna.

The vast majority of women who land in prison have been physically or sexually abused. Many have turned to drugs, and then a life of crime. Their chances of rehabilitation are made harder as they often struggle to find work, housing and support on the outside.

"No one wants to employ you when there's 100 other applicants that don't have criminal records. So why would they want to employ you? Sometimes I feel like I'm just beating my head against a brick wall." Fran.

The camera captures the highs and lows as they search for accommodation and a job.

"It would be lovely to be able to help her, she's a person that is in housing need. It's really sad and you know you want to help everybody [but] you can't." Emergency Housing co-ordinator.

Despite their troubled histories, Bekki, Fran and Donna make progress. Their experiences give real insight into how to break the cycle.

"It's a whole new chapter in my life absolutely. Only good things come from here. I've got such a good feeling. I've got such a good feeling, there's hope, it's given me hope." Fran.
Criminalising Women, produced by Janine Cohen, goes to air on Monday 25th February at 8.30pm. It is replayed on Tuesday 26th February at 1.00pm and Wednesday 27th at 11.20pm. It can also be seen on ABC NEWS channel on Saturday at 8.10pm AEST, ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.
FRAN: Okay... I've been to prison four times. I was in prison for drug dealing. The hardest thing about staying out of prison is dealing with the isolation, the judgements, the stigma.
I had the perfect life. I had two beautiful children, I had a husband that dotted. I had a nine to five job. We had a little house you know not far from the school. And I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world.
Things started to change my son passed away when he was 19. We were holding each other up from the death of our son. And then my husband was diagnosed with renal cancer. And he passed away and we buried him with my son. And it was actually one of my kid's friends, introduced me to ice, not longer after my husband passed away. Inside I was just falling apart, I was an absolute mess. And the more I took ice , the more I wanted to take ice. I couldn't get enough of it you know. I just wanted to deaden any pain, any pain I could.
Friends would come over. We would all throw our money in and then I would get it and then we would divvy it all up, you know. And in essence that made me a drug supplier. Yeah I was a drug supplier from that moment onwards. Yeah and then of course after that their friends, like my friends, told their friends and then their friends told other friends and other friends told other friends and before, my house was like central station, it was absolutely ridiculous and I was getting more and more sick by the day. It was eating me from the inside out. Literally I ended up with sepsis in my blood.
PRODUCER: So those marks on your arms, what are they from?
FRAN: They were from the sepsis due to the ice yeah, they're the poison. My whole blood became toxic, yeah it was literally toxic, and I knew every day when I opened my eyes I would be wondering is today the day I am either going to die or I'm going to be arrested . I am either going to die or am I going to be arrested. You know and each day was, you know, I knew one of those would happen, you know and I was praying that it would just happen soon..
SUPER: Fran was convicted of drug supply and sentenced to three years in prison.
FRAN: When I came out I had no home, no money, a change of underwear but that was basically it. Where I am living now is not safe.I am absolutely desperate. So we're off today to speak to someone in in the Uniting Church about a home. Having a home for me and regardless of where it is, what it looks like, it could be the biggest dump in Sydney, but I wouldn't, it would just be, you , you can make it your home yer.
GLORIA LARMAN, CEO, WOMEN'S JUSTICE NETWORK: Hi Fran so good to see you again. You are looking well. We will l go and see what the housing is all about hey. Long term housing is so important. It's the next thing big one.
KATHERINE WIGHT: Hi Fran.
FRAN: Hello Katherine how are you. Can I give you a hug?
KATHERINE WIGHT, TENANCY MANAGER, UNITING: So first of all I will show you around. So I'll show you a couple of rooms we've got here.

ANNIE: But this is the last time I have to talk to you on the phone while you are in prison and wait for that... the impact for myself for Bekki's prison terms has been the time, cost and heartache.
But mostly it's been the heartache around it, having to talk about with your friends that I'm going to visit my daughter in prison today. It's a real shame thing and leaving her there, when you leave you know it was really hard.
BEKKI: I am never going back to prison. I've had enough. I've definitely grown from this experience and I am not coming back. I cannot go back. There's just no ifs, buts or maybes. I am just not going back.
SUPER: Two weeks later Bekki and her mum move in to a new home.
ANNIE, BEKKI'S MUM: Bekki and I have just moved int a new place on the south coast of New South Wales, and I guess if I didn't think she'd turned over a new leaf and was ready to make some changes in life I wouldn't have done that.
When Bekki was using because she was such an opportunist thief, I would hide things like my car keys, my wallet, my phone, laptop under my pillow whenever I went to bed.
BEKKI: I have had a very tense relationship with my mum m in the past. But I am rebuilding that.
Mum had given me more than a few chances and I have let her down more than a few times.
ANNIE: A few years ago now Bekki stole some precious and irreplaceable things from a house that I was looking after. For me, that was ..it really gutted me that particular time ..she'd stolen lots of things before in the past, but that particular occasion it was Mother's Day, and we'd been out for a lovely lunch. But that night when I went off to work she came back to the house and took those things. And with it my trust, she stole the trust that other people had in me and that was really, really tough. I went into a bit of a spiral myself at that point.
BEKKI: I have done a lot of personal growth. My self esteem was shocking and I'm pretty good now. I was six when I was sexually abused. The effect that had on my life, oh it was like devastating. My dad wanted to believe me. My mum just flat out no did not believe me, which was really hard. And then my parents actually got divorced not long after that.. I don't even know if the abuse affected me as much as not being believed. I went from a little happy girl ..I started to compulsively eat. I blew up to a little fat kid. I just thought every one loved me because they had to love me.
ANNIE: I feel a lot of regret and shame around that I didn't believe Bekki when she told me she was sexually abused as a young child. I had no reason to believe that could happen. I just didn't ..I was very naive. I do wonder if we, as parents, had believed her earlier and acted on that, that maybe, just maybe it wouldn't have gone as badly as it has.
STEVE, BEKKI'S DAD: If I could change one thing in my life and hers, I would go back and fix that and make sure it never happened. If Bekki hadn't been sexually molested, I'm sure her life would have been better. She wouldn't have hung around with the people she did.
BEKKI:. I had such low self worth. I thought I was unlovable. I didn't really get to do all the things that 16 year olds did because of my involvement with a pretty violent relationship.
STEVE: I think Bekki was attracted to violent people to protect her because I'm not a violent person and obviously I didn't protect he.

END GRAPHIC : BEKKI IS NOW AN APPRENTICE BUTCHER.
FRAN AND DONNA ARE STILL LOOKING FOR WORK.

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Across the nation, there are now more women in prison than ever before. And once they're out they're very likely to reoffend and end up back inside. On Monday Four Corners investigates why so many women are going to jail by meeting three women who know exactly what it's like.