EP. 174 – Adrian Usher (Prisons & Probation Ombudsman)

Host Becky Annison explores the UK's court backlog crisis and its troubling ripple effects throughout the justice system. Her guest, Adrian Usher, the UK’s Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, explains how delayed trials are creating a bottleneck in prisons, with some Crown Court cases now being scheduled as far ahead as 2028, and he outlines the human cost of these systemic failures.

Adrian explains why coming into his role as PPO after a long career as a police officer changed how he thinks about prison sentences, and he discusses with Becky the many difficulties inmates face under current prison conditions.

This thought-provoking episode challenges legal professionals of all specialties to consider their duty to an increasingly strained justice system.