‘Changing Lives’
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550517719105 |
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Practice notes |
Practice note
‘Changing Lives’:
Using technology to
promote desistance
Gail McGreevy
Probation Board for Northern Ireland, UK
Abstract
In October 2016 the Probation Board for Northern Ireland launched an app called
‘ChangingLives’, designed toassist offenders to desistfrom crime. ‘ChangingLives’ is the
first app developedspecifically to help offendersin Northern Ireland to desistfrom crime
and becomerehabilitated. Availableon both Android and iOS, it enables offenderswho
have problems with their mental health or addictions to identify their problems and find
support.It offers advice on how to overcome problemswith addictions and mental health
and signposts people to appropriate services. People who bel ieve they are at risk can also
directly ring the Samaritans or Lifel ine from the app. The app features a journal, so that
those on probationcan keep track of any issues in their lives and sharetheir progress or
any challengesthey face withtheir probationofficer. A contacts sectionof the app enables
people to ring directly through to probation staff as well a sou t-of-hours GP services and
others. The app is dueto be evaluated in October 2017.
Keywords
digital justice, service users, mobile phone app
Background
The Probation Board for Northern Ireland performs a critical role in the justice
system. It provides reports to assist decision-making in the criminal justice process. In
the prisons in Northern Ireland, probation staff deliver pre-release resettlement
interventions to prisoners and also provide risk assessment reports to the Parole
Commissioners to inform their decision-making about prisoner releases. In the
Corresponding Author:
Gail McGreevy, Probation Board for Northern Ireland, UK.
Email: gail.mcgreevy@pbni.gsi.gov.uk
The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
Probation Journal
2017, Vol. 64(3) 276–281
ªThe Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0264550517719105
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