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

Attachment theory in probation practice
Attachment theory can contribute to work with people on probation in conceptualising the supervisory relationship, and in understanding offending, risk and relationships.

Probation needs to learn lessons from Serious Further Offences
Too many Serious Further Offence reviews are falling below par, with probation services not sufficiently identifying the necessary learning.

Keeping young people in contact with the justice system safe
Probation inspectorate reviews how well youth offending services identify safety concerns.

Co-production with people on probation and in prison
What the evidence base tells us about Engagement and Co-Production with
People with Lived Experience of
Prison and Probation

Domestic violence perpetrators and neurodiversity
New research on domestic violence and neurodiversity from Nicole Renehan & Kate Fitz-Gibbon

The end of probation?
Will the merger of the prison and probation services lead to the loss of probation identity?

Child to Parent Abuse
Amanda Holt summarises the research findings on child to parent abuse, covering its prevalence, contexts, and impacts.

Innovation lost in reunification of probation
Institute for Government praises MoJ for reunifying probation on such a tight schedule but flags up loss of innovative practice.

Prison and probation officers leaving in droves
The latest HMPPS workforce statistics show large numbers of prison and probation staff leaving the service.

Desistance and the “love of a good woman”
The love of a good woman can be critical to desistance – but what is the impact on her?

Best practice in resettling children from custody
Professor Neal Hazel provides evidence- based best practice advice on resettling children after custody for the Clinks Evidence Library.

Professional curiosity in probation
Professional curiosity can be a useful tool for probation staff assessing risk and supporting people to change.