Maintaining a critical dialogue
| Published date | 01 March 2017 |
| Date | 01 March 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550517698253 |
| Subject Matter | Editorial |
Editorial
Maintaining a critical
dialogue
I am privileged be takingon the role of Editor of the Probation Journal fromLol Burke,
who stepped down in December 2016 after ten years at the helm. We will miss him
but know that he will stay connected through his continued scholarship and contri-
butions to the journal. Lol’s leadership was evident in his stewardship and always
insightful editorials, where he maintained a critical focus on the changes within
probation and the wider criminal justice system. Building on the work of his pre-
decessors,Lol has developed the internationalreputation of the journal.The articles in
the journal, which reflect on probation and community justice and the wider framing
of social and politicalcontexts, receive a wide readership. One of the strengthsof the
journal is that it attracts contributions from practitioners and academics (and those
who move betweenthese spheres). The contributions to this edition areno exception.
This issue continues a theme which has been at the forefront in recent years – the
intersection of mental health and criminal justice. Jo Borrill and colleagues’ research
on suicides of people under community supervision sheds light on an important area
that has received limited previous attention (Gelsthorpe et al., 2012). Their article
reports on findings from research on a population of people who died as a result of
suicide in one probation area over a three-year period. Key issues such as the
difficulties in complying with a community order in the context of complex needs
and vulnerabilities and the salience of missed appointments are explored. The need
for further staff support and training in this area is highlighted.
The development of services for people who are identified as having personality
disorders has been one area where specific attention has been focused on the
intersection of mental health and criminal justice (NOMS/NHS, 2015). A number
of recent articles in the journal have explored the out-workings of the Offender
Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway initiatives in England (e.g. Castledine, 2015;
Nichols et al., 2016; Ramsden et al., 2016), which have involved the development
of joint-working models between probation staff and psychological services.
Harvey and Ramsden’s contribution to this issue builds on this body of work by
exploring ‘contracting’ between professionals working with people with personality
disorder. As the authors explain, in the context of clinical consultation or probation
supervision the main aim of contracting ‘is for each party to be aware of the
practical and psychological components of the relationship’ ([p. 2]). Harvey and
Ramsden’s article reports on some of the effects of contracting on practice cultures,
Probation Journal
2017, Vol. 64(1) 3–5
ªThe Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0264550517698253
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The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
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