PRESS RELEASE : Amy Rees appointed to lead HMPPS

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 31 August 2022.

The Ministry of Justice has today (31 August 2022) announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive for Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

Amy Rees – previously the Director General of Probation, Wales and Youth for HMPPS – will succeed Dr Jo Farrar who will focus on her wider role as Second Permanent Secretary at the MOJ, including digital transformation of justice services.

Under the restructure, following an operating model review led by the MOJ Permanent Secretary Antonia Romeo, Phil Copple will become Director General of Operations for Prisons and Probation.

Both roles will begin on 1 September 2022 and are part of a wider, ongoing agency transformation placing greater focus on the delivery of frontline services – keeping the public safe, delivering modern prisons that rehabilitate offenders and reducing reoffending.

Having joined HMPPS in 2001, Amy worked in frontline positions at several prisons including HMP Lewes, High Down and Bristol before being appointed Governor at HMP Brixton in 2008.

She has since acted as Executive Director for HMPPS in Wales and was the lead official with the Welsh Government on behalf of the MOJ.

Amy also took on responsibility for the Youth Custody Service, including day-to-day operations and supporting its work to shape the future of children’s services in custody.

Phil has been in the Prison service for over 30 years, joining in 1990 as a prison officer. He has governed in a number of prisons including HMP Deerbolt and HMP Frankland and led prisons and probation in the North East region, as NE Director of Offender Management.

Phil took up post as Executive Director Prisons in 2017, before becoming Director General of Prisons in 2019.