Here you can find more than 750 posts tracking every major development in probation since 2011. You can trace the rise and fall of Transforming Rehabilitation, see the latest performance figures and explore new practice developments. If you’re looking for something in particular, try the search box below.
The Ministry of Justice has become increasingly committed to Restorative Justice over recent years. There was considerable emphasis on RJ in the recently completed Transforming Rehabilitation process with new providers urged to include restorative work and the police use of community resolutions is to be expanded.
There were 11,000 prisoners of this age incarcerated in June 2014, representing about 13% of the prison population. Indeed, over the last 10 years (2004 – 2014) prisoners aged 60 or over were the fastest-growing age group (125% increase) followed by those aged 50–59 (104% increase).
Last month (24 October 2014) the MoJ published a new set of statistics in readiness for the implementation of Transforming Rehabilitation – the reoffending rates for these short term prisoners. In effect these statistics provide the baseline against which reducing reoffending rates will be measured.
The main argument in favour of allowing prisoners to vote is that we need to do everything we can to give offenders a stake in society and disenfranchising them merely adds to a general social exclusion and hinders the desistance process. But if the UK is out of step with Europe, the situation in the USA is far more extreme.
Confirmation of the new prime providers in the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies introduced through the MoJ’s Transforming Rehabilitation project
It’s my depressing conclusion that much of the YJB’s meticulous work to prevent any more children dying in custody may be undone by the creation of large Secure Colleges such as the initial 320 bed institution currently under development in Leicestershire.
Perhaps the most important factor is the willingness for the MoJ to encourage and promote transparency in identifying what does – and does not – work to prevent reoffending.
Let’s hope this commitment to transparency continues when the new private probation providers start running Community Rehabilitation Companies in April 2015.
Perhaps the most concrete of the commitments in this document is the plan to consult on a new compensation system which would mean that victims received compensation on conviction, rather than having to wait for months and years “as and when the offender is able to pay.”
The report found that too often, family relationships are seen simply as a matter of visits which may be increased or reduced according to an offender’s behaviour. There was no evidence that families were involved in sentence planning for instance, even when an offender said they were relying on them for support after release.
One of the best aspects of this important Clinks report is that it does not merely report the difficulties faced by organisations working with women offenders but highlights innovative practice and makes recommendations for ensuring that the needs of women offenders are not neglected under TR.
At present, there is no specific offence of domestic abuse outlining that coercive and controlling behaviour in an intimate relationships is criminal. The behaviours are captured in stalking and harassment legislation, but do not explicitly apply to intimate relationships. Some experts have argued that this means the law is ambiguous and perpetrators of domestic abuse are committing criminal acts but not being brought to justice.
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) just published a new YouTube video which tells you everything you need to know about desistance in 5 minutes and 28 seconds. Featuring the “greats” of the field – Shadd Maruna, Fergus McNeill, Claire Lightowler & Stephen Farrall.
