Still Pertinent, Despite the Gaps
| Date | 01 September 1991 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059103800317 |
| Published date | 01 September 1991 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Turning to three important aspects
question ’what works?’. This
of the book: politics, policy and prac-
astonishing achievement owes nothing
tice. Firstly, politics which encom-
to the ideas or tone of this book, and
passes on the one hand the overtly
everything to the ingenuity of staff and
political stance of NMAG, with its sup-
the support and resourcing of
port groups for socialists engaged in a
’Management’.
programme of ’defensive and opposi-
In conclusion then, the book has
tional work’. On the other was the
to be judged as a ’political’ book with
authors’ wish that NAPO
secure affilia-
its Marxist critique and analysis and its
tion to the TUC - a wish that Jenny
espousal of something called ’socialist
Kirkpatrick as erstwhile General
probation practice’. Its bias is around
Secretary eventually brought to fruition
some
undefined notion of ’the work-
in the eighties. My own belief is that
ing class’. As Terry Eagleton has con-
this signalled, inter alia, the profes-
cluded in his study on Ideology (1991):
sional decline of NAPO and its
’The working class, or for that mat-
marginalisation in the critical criminal
ter any other subordinate group,
justice policy debates of the late
thus becomes clay in the hands of
eighties.
those wishing to co-opt it into some
Secondly policy, namely, the com-
political strategy ... ’
mitment in the book to social policy
issues and not just criminal justice
Eagleton poses the question ’What
policy. This was a thread in the book
makes a political radical attempt to
which could have been further
hegemonize one social group rather
developed and certainly NAPO (and,
than another?’. However Beaumont
may I say, ACOP with such examples
and Walker would now answer that
as its substantial report on Surviving
question, the real challenge for the Pro-
Poverty) has put into practice subse-
bation Service (i.e. all staff) is the con-
quently with much publicity.
tinuing plight and potential of all
Thirdly practice, and it is...
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