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
The challenges of being a probation manager
Kevin Wong summarises research on a new model for probation management.
Probation service failing at a national level
Inspectors find major shortfalls in national arrangements for the probation service
Hope & Probation
Jake Phillips & colleagues’ new report on Using the lens of hope to reimagine probation practice.
Developments in the parole system
Chief Executive of the Parole Board Cecilia French shares the latest developments in the parole system.
Probation pilot provides support for victims of stalking
Process evaluation of the pilot Victim Notification Scheme for victims of stalking, harassment & coercive behaviour.
Bridging the digital divide in Probation
Dr Victoria Knight’s guest post on her new Academic Insight for HM Inspectorate of Probation on Bridging the Digital Divide.
Probation “under-resourced and over-stretched”
Probation inspectorate annual report says the service has too few staff, with too little experience and training, managing too many cases.
Probation public protection ineffective in 65% cases
Updated Probation Inspectorate research shows public protection work ineffective in 65% cases.
New resources for front-line justice practitioners
The newest additions to the Butler Trust’s Knowledge Exchange site for prison, probation and youth justice practitioners.
Electronic tagging instead of recall
Process evaluation of the electronic monitoring as licence variation pilot where tagging is used instead of prison recall
Prison and probation staffing problems worsen (winter 2024/25)
Latest HMPPS workforce figures show falls in number of prison and probation officers
Justice spending in England & Wales
The Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis of how justice spending in England & Wales has fallen over last two decades.
