Everything you want to know about probation
The most up-to-date data
This is the latest in my new series of compendiums of the latest data and trends in the criminal justice system. Following compendiums on prisons, sentencing, and offender equalities, this edition focuses on probation.
For the best experience, click through the visualisation at the bottom of this page, this allows you to hover over data points and see the exact data. If you can’t see the visualisation below on your device, you can find it here.
Topics covered include:
- The type of offences people are on probation for
- The decline of community sentences over the last decade
- Caseload figures (including changes in different forms of supervision)
- The offence profile of people on community supervision
- A breakdown of the popularity of different requirements on community orders and suspended sentence orders
- Successful completion rates (and reasons for termination) for community supervision
- The spectacular drop in the number of full Pre-Sentence reports
I hope you find them of use and interest.
Compendium last updated 3 December 2020
Criminal Justice Trends
Click below for up-to-date interactive charts using the latest official data.
Offender equalities
A wide range of prison statistics broken down by gender, ethnicity and age.
Probation
The latest caseload figures and trends, offender profiles and court reports.
Prison
Details of individual establishments, costs, population trends and safety in custody stats.
Sentencing
Compare sentencing outcomes, lengths and reoffending rates and index offences.
Recent Probation Posts
Serious Further Offences keep rising
HMI Probation’s fourth annual report on serious further offences reveals poor communication with victims’ families.
Working with veterans on probation
HMI Probation Academic Insight on working with veterans on probation
All the latest resources for justice practitioners
The newest additions to the Butler Trust’s Knowledge Exchange site for prison, probation and youth justice practitioners.
The latest prison and probation staffing figures
Winter 2025 HMPPS workforce bulletin shows fewer prison and more probation staff.
Lessons from Probation Service Reform
Harry Annison on the lessons from repeated probation service reform
Good food and Good Lives
Good food and good lives: how food interventions contribute to desistance
How does the MoJ spend its money?
Interesting facts and figures from the MoJ annual report and accounts
Everything you need to know about the health of people in prison and on probation
Landmark report on the health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure NHS estate.
Embracing the views of people with lived experience of the CJS
David Honeywell highlights the need to fully embrace the views and perspectives of those with lived experience of the CJS for HM Inspectorate of Probation.
The pressures on the probation service
A range of new official data shows the ever-rising pressure points on the probation service.
Probation “weak” and short of 3,150 staff
The National Audit Office finds that since reunification, probation performance has declined, with significant staffing shortfalls and high workloads.
Transforming Further Education in the Justice System
A transformative vision for the future of Further Education in supporting people leaving prison or on probation.
