Inspectors say staff workloads are too high and the unit's offices are not fit for purpose.
A county's service that looks after offenders being released back into the community has been graded "inadequate" by inspectors.
The inspectorate said it was aware that the PDU would be disappointed by the inadequate rating, which reflected a lack of progress on recommendations made during theThe chief inspector of probation, Martin Jones, said: "Despite leaders’ clear vision for the service... the high staff vacancy rates, excessive workloads and poor quality estates meant delivery of the vision was sadly an ambition rather than a reality at the point of inspection.
Mr Jones added: "Despite the challenges, practitioners at Northamptonshire PDU spoke positively about their roles, their teams, and the level of support they were receiving."
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