Research and Information in the Probation Service
| Author | Adrian Hudson |
| Published date | 01 December 1976 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057602300406 |
| Date | 01 December 1976 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
117
Discussion
.
There
is
a
continuing
debate
over
the
development
of
the
parole
system.
Important
questions
are
raised
over
the
roles
of
the
judiciary
and
the
prison
administration
in
sentencing
policy.
At
the
same
time
there
is
steady
pressure
on
the
Parole
Board
to
adopt
a
less
cautious
approach
to
its
work
and
others
press
for
more
radical
changes
which
would
make
parole
an
automatic
right
for
the
prisoner
subject
to
good
behaviour.
An
examination
of the
nature
of
the
probation
officer’s
involvement
in
the
parole
process
is
an
important
feature
of
this
debate.
Although
the
questionnaire
was
obviously
limited
in
scope,
we
feel
that
it
did
confirm
the
value
of
using
the
experience
of
probation
officers’
in
examining
some
of
the
problems
and
confusions
associated
with
the
parole
system.
The
questionnaire
also
highlighted
some
of
the
concerns
felt
by
probation
officers
over
aspects
of
their
parole
work
and
in
particular
we
feel
that
three
areas
of
concern
would
merit
further
study:
the
relations
between
parole
decisions
and
the
knowledge
of
potential
problem
areas
in
the
prisoner’s
life;
the
purpose
of
home
circumstances
reports;
and
the
effect
of
the
parole
licence
requirements
on
the
relationship
between
the
probation
officer
and
the
parolee.
Such
issues
lead
one
to
consider
the
aims
implicit
in
parole
supervision
and
whether
probation
officers
with
their
social
work
training
and
skills
are
the
most
appropriate
people
to
undertake
this
supervision.
’For
example
M.
Davies,
Prisoners
of
Society.
London
1974,
p.62.
Research
and
Information
in
the
Probation
Service
ADRIAN
HUDSON
West
Yorkshire
A
SERVICE
which
operates
’on
the
basis
of
hunches
and
habit
cannot
retain
its
effectiveness
however
satisfactory
it
may
have
been
in
the
past.
The
1969
survey
of the
Reading
Habits
of
probation
officers
by
Brown
and
McCulloch’
was
not
encouraging.
Even
those
probation
officers
who
retain
the
reading
habits
of
student
days
cannot
hope
to
keep
up
on
every
aspect
of
work,
nor
is
it
easy
for
anyone
to
find
out
who
may
have
specialist
information
on
any
subject
which
can
be
shared.
Yet
it
is
also
true
that
the
Probation
and
After-Care
Service
is
potentially
the
best
informed
of
all
the
social
services.
There
is
a
good
literature
of
criminology
and
abstract
services
are
available .2
The
Home
Office
Research
Unit
has
produced
a
steady
flow
of
publications
and
the
recent
practice
of
issuing
a
Research
Bulletin3
is
a
most
valuable
addition
to
its
services.
Probably
more
important,
however,
is
the
fact
that
for
many
years
the
Service
has
been
committed
to
keeping
an
adequate
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