Topic 10: Role And Effectiveness Of The Probation Service Flashcards
What is the main role of the national probation service?
The main role of the NPS is to supervise high risk offenders released into the community
How many offenders does the NPS supervise each year?
The NPS supervises around 30,000 offenders per year
Which organisations does the NPS work with to manage offenders safely and effectively?
The NPS works in partnership with 21 community rehabilitation private companies, the courts, police and private / voluntary sector partners
What does it mean for an offender to be on probation?
Probation means that an offender is serving their sentence outside of prison e.g. community sentence / license / parole
Under what circumstances must an offender be supervised by the probation service for atleast 12 months?
Anyone released from prison who served between 2 days and 2 years must be supervised by the NPS for atleast 12 months
Give 3 examples of possible requirements an offender may have to complete if on probation
- unpaid work
- treatment for addictions
- regular meetings with offender manager
What is the purpose of pre sentence reports prepared by the NPS?
The purpose of pre sentence reports is to help in the selection of the most appropriate sentence
How does the NPS support offenders transitioning prison to the community?
NPS supports transitioning from prison to community managing approved premises and assessing prisoners in prison
In what circumstances does the NPS communicate with and prioritise victims of serious crimes?
The NPS must prioritise the victims of sexual and violent offences
How is the NPS funded, and how does this differ from the funding of community rehabilitation companies?
The NPS is funded by the National Offender Management Service via taxation whereas community rehabilitation companies are businesses so self funding
What are the evaluation points of The National Probation Service?
- funding cuts
- privatised probation services failed
- high caseloads and staff shortages
- recidivism
Evaluate funding cuts as a limitation of probation
P: a limitation of probation is that funding cuts and resource constraints has impacted the quality of support
E: for example, 2025 financial projections are 14% lower in real times than in 2008
E: this is a limitation because these cuts mean that probation services can’t rehabilitate offenders, reducing their ability to reintegrate offenders into society
Evaluate privatised probation as a limitation of probation services
P: a limitation of probation is that privatised probation services were cancelled in 2021 after a number of high profile failures
E: for example, David Brandon committed a murder whilst under privatised probation
E: this is a limitation as the quality of probation has decreased, however, chief inspector has said this is a short term decrease
Explain high caseloads and staff shortages as a limitation of probation
P: a limitation is that there is high caseloads and staff shortages meaning they are unable to provide adequate services
E: for example, there are 240,000 offenders but a 29% probation staff vacancy. This means only 49% of domestic abuse cases were carried out and only 55% of child abuse.
E: this is a limitation because reduced staff supervision increases the likelihood of reoffending
Evaluate recidivism as a limitation of probation services
P: a limitation is that reoffending rates are high due to a lack of stable housing, employment and support networks
E: for example, offenders released from a custodial sentence of less than 12 months have a reoffending rate of 56.1%
E: this is a limitation because high reoffending rates decrease credibility of probation as an alternative to prison
