Justice Affairs Select Committee 4

The Howard League for Penal Reform will shortly be giving oral evidence to the Committee and a recent post by Frances Crook gives a flavour of where they are coming from. Basically they suggest the probation service is 'rebranded' and becomes a 'resolution service'. Frances Crook may be an expert in the field of criminal justice, but obviously not in branding. 'The what service? Anyway, this sounds promising:- 

"If government intends to cut the cost of an expensive prison system, probation must be the weapon at the front and centre of the new system. It must change its focus, working not on the mundane box-ticking of bureaucrats but engaging with individuals in the community as many dedicated probation officials would really wish to. Just as our police officers must be free to spend more time on the beat so probation officers must be freed up to spend more time in the community."

"The problem is this recommendation on its own is not enough. After years of a failed “prison-works” doctrine and a generation of the press vilifying failed probation; probation requires rebranding and reintegration within the community. Our submission calls for a shift away from offender management and a shift towards a localised “resolution service” that the public can both see and understand. It calls for a community resolution service that works with those who have committed crime, whereby local probation/resolution officers serve as a local, individualised gateway to offer individuals access to support on problems such as housing and health care."

"If probation could define itself in this way, then there is little reason why probation should remain solely in the portfolio of criminal justice. Probation could serve as a one-stop shop for all people who are vulnerable in the community. They could go out into the community acting as a dispute resolution and support service for all within society, for example anti-social behaviour matters could be channeled to appropriate local services instead of towards overcrowded prisons."

But I'm not too sure about this idea. It would require social work skills that we've just spent 10 years comprehensively removing from the service. The really funny bit is it sort of makes a case for an integrated probation and social service department - in fact a bit like they have had in Scotland all along. Oh and of course we did used to help mediate in divorce cases over child access and custody and we used to resolve neighbour disputes. Nothing new under the sun then.