AC3.4 Evaluate the effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control(probation Service)

Question 1

What is the probation service responsible for?

Answer 1

• Supervising offenders in the community
• Supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending

Question 2

What was the impact of the 2014 privatisation?

Answer 2

Aimed to cut reoffending
• Created Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) to handle low-risk offenders
• Public sector dealt with higher-risk cases (National Probation Service - NPS)

Question 3

How successful were the CRCs?

Answer 3

19 out of 21 failed to meet targets
• Government had to invest an extra £342 million

Question 4

What did the 2018 inspection report find about CRCs?

Answer 4

• Only 54% helped offenders with housing
• Offenders often only supervised by phone
• Victims (e.g. of domestic abuse) were not properly protected
• CRCs cut staff, leading to huge caseloads

Question 5

What criticisms were made about CRCs and policy?

Answer 5

• Dame Glenys Stacey (Head of Probation) called the system “flawed”
• Government bias: Conservatives supported privatisation despite failure
• In 2020, government admitted CRCs failed – returned service to public sector

Question 6

What are the limitations of the National Probation Service (NPS)?

Answer 6

• Not enough probation officers
• High workloads
• Professional standards not always met
• No national strategy for local specialist services
• Not enough spaces on key rehabilitation programmes

Question 7

How does the National Probation Service (NPS) perform compared to prisons?

Answer 7

• More successful than CRCs
• Reoffending rates are about half those of prisons