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
Big increase in the number of Serious Further Offences
There were 700 Serious Further Offences in 2023/24, an increase of 33% on the previous year.
Facts and Figures from the 2024 MoJ Annual Report
Interesting facts and figures from the 2023/24 MoJ Annual Report and Accounts
A fall in the number of people dying on probation in the last year
1,404 people supervised by the probation service died last year.
Pressures on prison system keep mounting
Latest Offender Management Statistics show how pressure on our prison system keeps mounting
IPP licence termination hotline
The Howard League has set up a hotline to advise people on IPP sentences about the new arrangements for terminating their licence.
Critical success factors for working with domestic abuse perpetrators
Nicole Renehan & David Gadd set out key ingredients for effective work with domestic abuse perpetrators.
How does parole work?
Acting Chief Executive of the Parole Board Faith Geary sets out the parole process in detail.
Probation complex case pilot aims to prevent serious further offences
Mixed findings from process evaluation of probation ‘Complex Cases pilot
Do treatment orders work?
MoJ study finds alcohol, drug & mental health treatment requirements reduce reoffending compared with those given short custodial sentences.
Probation officers need more training and support to work with young adults
Inspectorate finds probation needs more resources and training to work with young adults
The Youth Justice Reform Programme
The official evaluation of the Youth Justice Reform programme finds mixed results.
Newham young adult probation hub a success
Process evaluation of a specialist young adult probation hub finds a successful model.