£125,000 quango boss who’s supposed to keep public safe
AN SNP quango set up to manage high-risk offenders spends more than £1million on staff costs – and is led by a chief executive earning up to £125,000 a year.
Mark McSherry is boss of the Risk Management Authority (RMA) which has ‘oversight of the assessment and management of individuals’ on Orders for Lifelong Restriction, a form of life sentence for the worst criminals.
It also produces standards and guidelines for risk assessment and risk management of all violent and sexual offenders.
The RMA said in recent minutes it had notched up a ‘small’ budget overspend which it hoped would be ‘brought back in line’ as long as there were no ‘additional unfunded budget pressures arising’.
Its staffing costs have risen from £921,000 to £1,168,000 between 2019-20 and 2020-21, including pension costs of £229,000 for 2020-21. Mr McSherry’s remuneration is £120,000-£125,000 a year, including pension benefits. The RMA’s guidance stresses that it backs a ‘human rights-based approach’ which ‘promotes a commitment to human worth and dignity, transparency and fairness, and social justice and inclusion’. It adds: ‘Risk entails uncertainty. Human behaviour is difficult to predict and human systems are fallible. It follows that risk cannot be eliminated nor accurately predicted: some will harm when this was unexpected whilst some will desist from harming despite the odds.
‘However, if objectives are to be met and values upheld, we must acknowledge that whilst we cannot eliminate the unpredictable nature of risk, we must channel our best efforts into addressing it as far as possible.’
The guidelines state: ‘Where further offending is likely regardless of its impact, supervision as part of case management is indicated. Where further offending is likely and the impact of that offending is also likely to result in harm to others; or where further offending is likely and the pattern, nature or seriousness of offending seems to be increasing; intensive case management and close monitoring are indicated.
‘Where further offending is likely and there are indicators of risk of serious harm, further assessment is indicated to establish the need for risk management, and a risk management plan which is distinctive from a case management plan.’
The RMA said: ‘Our duties focus on protecting the public by ensuring that robust risk assessment and risk management practices are in place to reduce the risk of serious harm posed by violent and sexual offenders.’
Asked about Jason Graham’s sentence, the RMA said it did not comment on individual cases.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘The public will be aghast at these spiralling staffing costs for a body that is meant to protect them from dangerous criminals. We have seen in too many cases, including the appalling crimes of Jason Graham, that is simply not happening.
‘Many other serious sex offenders are completely off the radar of police officers.
‘The SNP needs to ensure that there is a focus on supporting the victims of crime.’