The Effectiveness of Probation
| Author | Nigel Walker |
| Published date | 01 September 1983 |
| Date | 01 September 1983 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455058303000306 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
The Effectiveness of Probation
Professor Nigel Walker
President of NAPOlCambridge Institute of Criminology
Prof. Walker returns to the key issues which he addressed at
the Brighton AGM, and calls for more critical awareness of
research findings, and more thorough research to clarify our
yardsticks of effectiveness.
I have indicated previouslyl that I believe we
1. when probation or suspended sentences
are
in danger of a take-over by the philosophy of
are
used for men
who
are
being convicted
’just deserts’, and that the main reason for this is
for the first time, the reconviction rates are
the widespread impression that no other kind of
very much higher than they ought’2 to
approach to the sentencing of offenders yields
be;
worthwhile results. That view was popularised
2. at the other end of the scale, when men with
by an article in 1974 by Robert Martinson, called
a lot of previous convictions are being
’What Works?’ His answer was ’Nothing
sentenced, it does not matter what sort of
Works’, although in a later article2 he admitted
sentence is used, at least so far as further
that he had oversimplified, and that subsequent
convictions are concerned, although it
evidence, ’too overwhelming to ignore’,
probably matters m
other ways;
suggested that -
at least so far as juveniles are
3. but when the court, is dealing with men
concerned - some
measures
result in better than
with a few
previous convictions, and uses
average reconviction-rates. One
example he gave
probation or fines, the reconviction rates
was
shock probation’ . I wont give all his findings,
are slightly better than they ’ought’5 to be.
partly because they relate to the USA, but partly
because for technical reasons I don’t trust them
any more than his original careless article.
I have every hope that if the call for
deeper research is answered, it will
Reconviction Studies
yield more encouraging and
illuminating information.
I’d much rather refer to a table in which I and
some colleagues at the Cambridge Institute
analysed some of the findings of the best follow-
Nearly 20 years ago I shocked a lot ofprobation
up
ever
done - at least m
this country. The follow-
officers by suggesting that for the first court
up was done not by us, but by Philpotts and
appearance probation did not seem to be a good
Lancucki, two Home Office statisticians, and it
idea, and that it should be reserved for offenders
covers
a
longer period than most other follow-ups
who were reconvicted. With a first appearance
-
no less than 6 years.3
3
m
court it is harder to know whether you are
Before I say any more, I want to emphasise what
dealing with a one-time loser or a future problem.
I’m not saying. I’m not saying at this stage that
With a reconvicted offender it is more likely that
reconvictions are the best measure of probation
you
have got aproblem on your hands. The figures
officer’s’ effectiveness. In a minute or two I shall
seem to support what was then regarded as a
be discussing whether this is so or not. But it is
heresy. I must make it clear that they don’t tell us
essential for probation officers to know what
that by the time of his second or third conviction
reconviction studies seem
to tell us. And
what
they
a
man
is more responsive to probation: that would
seem
to tell us so far as adult men4 are concerned
be a ridiculous generalisation, although some-
is that
times it must be true. The safer interpretation is
99
Table 1. Actual Reconvictions * of Adult Men shown as % of those ’Expected’**
(Percentages below 100 are encouraging: above 100, discouraging)
*in a six-year follow-up. Figures were corrected to allow for prisoners’ time ’inside’.
**taking into account different reconviction-rates for different offence-types.
that at this stage probation officers and courts are
of course -
from the probation officers who were
in a better position to select those who are likely
supervising the probationers. Since what
to respond. Eventhatmustn’tbeexaggerated: the
IMPACT was testing was the possibility that
figures suggest that they are doing only slightly
probationers under intensive handling do better
better than some other choice would.
-
or worse - than those on normal probation,
This is not the first time in history when the
it was almost...
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