Partnerships
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059604300304 |
| Published date | 01 September 1996 |
| Date | 01 September 1996 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
137
Partnerships:
A Northern
Ireland
Perspective
Among
a
number
of
often
under-appreciated
legal
and
cultural
differences
between
Northern
Ireland
and
England
and
Wales,
the
Probation
Board
for
Northern
Ireland
(PBNI)
has
pursued
a
positive
approach
to
partnership
funding,
raising
the
profile
of
the
Service
in
the
community.
In
contrast,
many
probation
officers
in
Britain
fear
that
partnerships
may
lead
to
job-cuts,
undermining
professionalism
and
reducing
the
quality
of
service
to
courts
and
clients.
Paul
Doran,
Maurice
Reid
and
Jane
Copeland,
probation
officers
in
Belfast,
outline
their
experience
of
partnerships
between
PBNI
and
the
voluntary
sector
and
suggest
some
opportunities
and
difficulties
which
may
lie
ahead
for
Services
accountable
to
the
Home
Office.
orthern
Ireland
has
a
very
low
crime
rate
(even
including
politically
motivated
crime),
high
detection
rates
and
comparatively
low
fear
of
crime.’
There
may
be
a
variety
of
explanations
for
this,
such
as
the
lack
of
serious
urbanisation,
strong
’traditional’
values
in
families
and
religions,
limited
homelessness
and
a
small
(but
growing)
drug
problem.
With
a
relatively
small
population
(1.5
million)
and
limited
mobility,
most
communities
have
a
strong
degree
of
stability
and
low
levels
of
population
turnover.
Thus
social
controls
such
as
gossip,
public
opinion,
public
surveillance
and
parental
control
are
strong.
In
direct
contrast,
there
is
a
marked
absence
of
formal
local
democracy,
with
councils
having
very
limited
powers
(eg
leisure
centres,
refuse,
cemeteries).
This
’democratic
deficit’
arose
from
concerns
about
abusive
power
by
local
authorities
on
sectarian
grounds.
However,
Northern
Ireland
also
has
an
unenviable
reputation
for
punishment
beatings,
where
paramilitaries
act
as
judge,
jury
and
executioner
in
beating
or
knee
capping
alleged
offenders.
It
has
been
suggested
these
beatings help
keep
the
crime
rate
low
yet
most
crime
is
committed
in
the
areas
where
paramilitary
organisations
are
strongest.
Furthermore,
there
is
no
evidence
that
paramilitary
activity
has
attracted
those
people
who
may
have
become
involved
in
’ordinary’
crime.
The
community
can
be
indifferent
to
these
horrendous
actions
and
one
aspect
of
partnerships
is
gaining
acceptance
that
the
Probation
Service
is
an
organisation
which
can
deal
effectively
with
offenders.
We
have
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