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

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.

Less than half of Pre-Sentence Reports good enough
Probation inspectors find just 47% Pre-Sentence Reports up to standard.

Prison and probation staffing problems persist (Summer 2024)
Prison and probation staffing levels not improving (summer 2024)

Child Criminal Exploitation
Nina Maxwell sets out how we can respond to child criminal exploitation for HMI Probation.

Prison and Probation Trends Summer 2024
There are 17,070 people on remand, the highest number ever.

Homelessness major cause of death on release from prison
32% people who died within two weeks of leaving prison were released homeless.

Hope Street’s trauma-informed residential service for justice involved women
Lady Edwina Grosvenor celebrates the first year of a ground-breaking new project for justice involved women.