Probation migration(s): Examining occupational culture in a turbulent field

In June 2014 approx. 54 per cent of the total probation service workforce in England and Wales were transferred to the newly created Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) as part of the government’s plans to establish a market for offender management services. This marked the beginning of one of the largest and most significant migrations of criminal justice staff from the public to the private sector in England and Wales. This article presents findings from an ethnographic study of the formation of one of these CRCs through to the period immediately following the transfer into private ownership. The authors discuss the key features of this migration which are identified as ‘splitting and fracturing’, ‘adapting and forming’ and ‘exiting or accommodation’. It is contended that this development not only has significant implications for the future of probation services but also provides a unique example of the impact on an occupational culture of migration from the public to the private sector

Delivering McJustice? The Probation Factory at the Magistrates’ Court

Despite playing a pivotal role in thousands of defendants’ experiences of criminal justice every year, the role of probation workers in the English and Welsh Magistrates’ courts has been neglected by researchers for several decades. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study of the work of probation staff in two such courts. The study suggests that probation work in this context is being squeezed into an operating model which bears all the hallmarks of a process described by Ritzer as ‘McDonaldization’. It is argued that the proximate causes of McDonaldization in this sub-field of probation work lie at the intersection of parallel Government-led reform programmes – Transforming Rehabilitation and Transforming Justice – which have respectively focused on creating a market for probation services and enhancing the administrative efficiency of criminal proceedings. Until now, almost no attention has been paid, either by researchers or policy-makers, to the intersection of these programmes of reform in the probation suites at the Magistrates’ courts

A more promising architecture? Commissioners’ perspectives on the reconfiguration of personality disorder services under the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway

Purpose – This paper explores the views of NHS England (NHSE) and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) commissioners about the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway. Design/methodology/approach – Thematic analysis of four semi-structured interviews with NHSE and HMPPS commissioners. Findings – Commissioners offered a cautious but confident assessment of the potential effectiveness of the OPD pathway, drawing particular attention to its potential to enhance the confidence and competency of staff, offer better value for money and provide enhanced progression routes for offenders with personality disorders. Additionally, commissioners identified a number of potential risks for the pathway including wider system flux, funding availability, multi-agency working, offender engagement and the need to evidence effectiveness. Research limitations/implications - Our analysis is based on a small number of interviews. However, there are only a limited number of commissioners involved with the OPD pathway. Practical implications - While the stronger focus on progression in the OPD pathway is a welcome departure from a narrow focus on high security DSPD services, the foundations of the OPD pathway ultimately lie with the DSPD programme and similar challenges are likely to follow. The system within which the pathway operates is subject to a great deal of flux and this inevitably poses significant challenges for pathway services, staff and offenders, as well as for those of us charged with its evaluation. Originality/value – There has been limited empirical work with commissioners in the mental health field. Our paper offers a unique insight into the perspectives of those responsible for commissioning the OPD pathway

A model of a specialist transitional support and liaison service within the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway in Wales: Learning from a regional pilot service

The process of transitioning from custody to the community can be a time of increased risk of reoffending and heightened anxiety brought on by uncertainty of future plans and unfamiliarity of new surroundings. This period can be particularly problematic for those experiencing complex needs or suffering with mental health difficulties. To address this concern, the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) in Wales established a Transitional Support Liaison service. This pilot service began with a focus on women’s criminal justice journeys and evident benefits led to service expansion to additionally address men’s transitions to the community through Approved premises. This practice note outlines the learning from these services, presenting a model of service delivery that can be adopted and expanded more widely. The paper concludes with recommendations and plans for service expansion

Designing Solutions for Improved Support within Health, Social Care and Criminal Justice for Adults with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism who Have Offended

People with learning disabilities and/or autism encounter considerable challenges on the pathways through the criminal justice and/or forensic health systems. This article presents a thematic analysis of focused discussions between users, professionals and practitioners from health, social care and criminal justice. It is informed by the social model of disability, which dictates its focus on solutions for maximising the full and effective participation of disabled users. Informants raised key challenges, including indirect disability discrimination and risk aversive practice, and evidenced innovative solutions. These include person‐centred, multi‐agency working, screening, information sharing, inclusive service design, nurturing sustainable key relationships and long‐term community support

Victim awareness : re-examining a probation fundamental

‘Ensuring offenders' awareness of the effects of crime on the victims of crime and the public’ is one of five stated aims of the National Probation Service of England and Wales and specifically undertaking victim awareness work is an expectation of the service’s work. The nature and putative value of such work appears to be rarely questioned however. It is argued that ‘victim awareness’ is a confused concept in terms of its rationale, definition, and empirical basis as a criminogenic need. These issues are evaluated and the practice implications discussed. A possible model of victim awareness work is described

Probation reform, the RAR and the forgotten ingredient of supervision

Considering the current review of probation services in England and Wales, this comment piece acknowledges the disappearance of supervision as a cornerstone of effective rehabilitation and the emergence of Rehabilitative Activity Requirements (RARs) replacing supervision. The authors raise concerns about the effectiveness of RARs and at this juncture argue the importance of retaining supervision within the responsibilities of National Probation Service case managers and safeguarding against it becoming an intervention that is delivered by external providers

Learning Lessons From Implementing Enabling Environments Within Prison and Probation: Separating Standards From Process

The probation and prison services within England and Wales are undergoing change which is argued will enhance rehabilitation. One aspect of this change is the introduction of the Enabling Environments standards into Approved Premises and many prison establishments. This paper examines the progress towards this goal across seven sites (four Approved Premises and three prisons) all of which are currently included in a multi-site longitudinal study examining the impact of Enabling Environments. With only one service having gained the award in the last two years, the majority of sites are behind the expected schedule with four re-launching the EE programme. It is argued that embedding the Enabling Environments standards should be seen as an organization change process. Drawing on organizational research and learning, this paper presents four learning points that might be implemented to overcome the difficulties experienced and assist with realizing the change being promoted

Mind the gap: sentencing, rehabilitation and civic purgatory

This article discusses the relationships and tensions between the sentencing, statutory supervision and legal rehabilitation of lawbreakers under UK legislation. It does so with reference to both the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which allows some criminal records to become ‘spent’ after a set period of time, and the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014, which was designed to significantly expand statutory supervision arrangements. The article also demonstrates how, post-supervision, many former lawbreakers are cast into a state of ‘civic purgatory’, before suggesting that a more fully integrated approach to rehabilitation is required