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
Balancing the child first approach with risk management in youth justice
Anne-Marie Day highlights the confusion surrounding whether youth justice practitioners should prioritise the management of risk or adopt a child first approach.
How do you find work as a released sex-offender?
‘It’s ok if you were in for robbery or murder, but sex offending, that’s a no no’: a qualitative analysis of the experiences of 12 men with sexual convictions seeking employment.
Understanding men who perpetrate domestic abuse
Kerry Ellis Devitt guest post on the complex pathways to violence in the home: better understanding male domestic abuse perpetration.
Working with sex offenders
A summary of the new Council of Europe recommendations on the assessment, treatment and reintegration of people accused or convicted of a sexual offence.
MoJ has under invested in its female offender strategy
The National Audit Office says that the MoJ has made limited progress on its Female Offender Strategy because of lack of investment.
Tagging of people on probation underused and lacking a clear rationale
Probation inspectors find that the electronic monitoring of people on probation underused and in need of improvement.
Preventing alcohol and drug-related deaths in the criminal justice system
New IAPDC & RCGP report recommends a cross-system approach to prevent substance related deaths in the criminal justice system.
Great information resource for justice practitioners
The Butler Trust’s Knowledge Exchange site now has over 400 resources for prison, probation and youth justice practitioners.
New focus on resettlement for prison and probation
What does the Prisons White Paper say about the the new resettlement focus of prisons and probation?
10 things we learnt from the 2020/21 HMPPS Annual report
Key facts from the 2020/21 HMPPS annual report including budgets, recruitment and more.
Bias and error in assessing and managing risk
Hazel Kemshall digs into the detail of bias and error in assessing and managing risk in the latest HMI Probation Academic Insight.
Serious youth violence and adverse childhood experiences
Latest HMIP Academic Insight explores adverse childhood experiences, serious youth violence, trauma-informed practice, and youth participation.
