Probation Journal

Publisher:: Sage Publications, Inc.
Publication date:: 2021-09-06

ISBN:: 0264-5505

Issue Number

No. 71-4, December 2024

Latest documents

Positive reinforcement in probation practice: The practice and dilemmas of praise
Positive reinforcement is a key part of probation practice, and linked to client desistance from offending. The main way practitioners positively reinforce clients’ prosocial comments or behaviours is through praising them. However, praise is tricky in interaction, as people are under pressure to accept the positive assessment whilst also avoiding self-praise. Applying conversation analysis to 21 video recordings of probation sessions originally collected for the Jersey Supervision Skills Study, we examine how this important aspect of probation features and functions in practice, and how clients respond. Our analysis shows how practitioners and clients manage the practice and dilemmas of praise.
A ‘weight’ on the shoulders of our youth: The pains of probation on young adult men with a sexual conviction. An exploratory study
This article is about the ‘pains of probation’ experienced by young adult men with a sexual conviction. It draws on the findings from a research study completed between July and August 2022. Seventeen participants who were subject to a probation Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order in England and Wales were interviewed about their experiences, and the impact, of community punishment on their lives. Three groups of pains were identified, which are pervasive, reaching beyond the boundaries of the Order. The strategies utilised by the young adults to manage these pains are explored, with the supervisory relationship a key factor in alleviating pains. This article argues that being subject to a probation order is experienced as painful, with the nature and type of deprivation affected by offence type and demographic variations. Despite the limitations of the exploratory study from which this article is drawn, there are implications for penal policy and future research.
People on probation as an inclusion health group: Exploring needs, barriers and service provision in Wales
People on probation face particular health inequalities and are categorised as an ‘inclusion health’ population group within public health policy in Wales. The health of this group is thought to be worse than the general population and a factor in whether people reoffend. This article is based on mixed-methods exploratory research which included a survey covering 34 community-based services who work with people on probation across Wales. Survey respondents indicated service availability and waiting lists, and mistrust of professionals are key barriers to accessing healthcare. The most identified health needs were mental health and substance misuse related. There is an opportunity to increase the focus on healthcare for people on probation through inclusion health approaches.
Testing and refining an approach to identifying health and social care needs in probation
We piloted an approach to identifying the health and social care needs of people on probation using a survey consisting of validated screening tools and key additional questions. We share findings from our analysis of the sample data, showing that there is a high complexity of needs in this population, with 65.4% of participants reporting at least one unmet need. We also explore the acceptability of this approach to identifying needs being used in routine probation practice and make recommendations about how identification and recording of needs could be approached and further researched in the future.
In court
Book review: Coercive Control and the Criminal Law
Sentencing review – Time to change direction?
Book review: A Practical Guide to Working with Sex Offenders
Book review: What Are Prisons For?: Themes and Perspectives For Policy and Practice (What Is It For?)
Should there be an app for that? Australian perspectives on the utility of a mobile app to support people in the criminal justice system
Mobile technology presents opportunities within the justice system to support and promote behaviour change and the past decade has seen increased development and use of mobile applications for this purpose. This article aims to contribute to this burgeoning area by presenting the findings of research which scoped the utility of a mobile application (app) intended to support Indigenous people on bail or parole in the Australian Capital Territory. The project sought the views of 12 people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, as well as 23 professional stakeholders who engage with the justice system, to determine the utility of such an app.