Reformed Offender?

I notice that a magistrate and fellow blogger has posed me the following interesting question:-

Perhaps the author of a new blog “On Probation Blog” might have some answers that lend themselves to a stricter analysis of “reformed”.

To summarise the hypothesis, I think he is basically suggesting that probation officers might take an offenders assertion that 'he won't do it again' as possibly sufficient grounds for making an assessment that he was 'reformed' and therefore become an appropriate message to convey to the sentencing magistrates or Judge in a PSR.

"So there it is….in need of cash? Some thieving will see you all right. Get caught? Tell those that listen….judges, magistrates, probation officers, you won`t do it again. OK! Now you are reformed. Oops! Done it again? Let`s start from the beginning."  

Gosh, where do we start? Generally speaking probation officers are not naive. At some time they will hear the refrain 'I swear, God's honest truth, on my life; my childrens life; my grandmothers life I didn't do it; I won't do it; I've stopped drinking; I won't drive again' etc etc. I try not to listen to it and I certainly don't encourage it because I don't want people to humiliate themselves. I am only really interested in the reasons for the offending, some signs of insight and an indication of a willingness to try and change. It is ludicrous to tell a court that further offending is unlikely if the individual is still using heroin, is still a problem drinker, hasn't got a home, has no job, still has debts etc etc. On the other hand if there are signs of progress, possibly some lifestyle changes, if the prognosis is improving, that's a different story, but still doesn't amount to a 'reformation' in my book.

Obviously we are handicapped because we only see the failures. Walking through town I might spot someone from the past and think 'I recognise them, been a few years - they must be doing ok'. Sometimes people will seek me out and say simply 'it's been 5/10/15 years now Jim' and that's great. But who's to say what anyone would do if the kids were starving, if they got back on the drink, if they lost their job, or home? Being a probation officer means being continually mindful of two opposing truths. On the one hand we know that past behaviour is a strong indicator of future behaviour, but we also know full well that all individuals are capable of change. I suppose this is why Alcoholics Anonymous would always refer to members as being a 'recovering alcoholic' rather than being 'recovered'.

In my entire career I have never used the term or indeed ever thought in terms of 'reformed offenders', or 'character' even. I think such a term is unhelpful precisely because it then begs a definition. If pressed I think my gut feeling is that it is not so much about the passage of time, as a way of thinking and one that has to be confirmed by actions. I have said previously, that I've not come across many 'career' criminals. I can imagine a fraudster or dodgy builder, both of whom might be preying on the elderly or vulnerable, possibly undergoing a conversion and seeing the error of their ways, but I can't recall one. I can imagine a truly religious conversion, but I've not supervised one. I have had experience of sex offenders who have been moved to change their beliefs and behaviour when their abuse at the hands of others has been exorcised, but it's quite rare and a very slow, painful process. All these would be good candidates I guess for being considered as having been 'reformed' but I'd still be cautious. In my work I aim for assisting and encouraging improvement in a clients lifestyle, prospects and their thinking as all being supportive of a crime free future. That period might range from hours to years, but it might represent significant progress for the individual concerned and probation officers are well used to measuring success in small amounts. 

It's a sad reflection that I don't feel able to be more upbeat. I suspect that might represent length of service as much as my character, but unfortunately no matter how good the probation officer is, they cannot solve all the many problems our clients have and which lie at the root of much of their offending. I really wish I could because I know that would put them on the route to becoming 'reformed'.

I should finish by saying that nothing I've said here should be taken as being critical of Unlock the charity run by and for 'reformed' offenders. They do excellent work and as with any organisation, have chosen certain terminology and definitions, but I would not necessarily endorse them. It must be remembered that the probation service has variously called people clients, cases, ex-offenders, offenders and currently service users. I think we skipped customers, but I have heard the un-pc term punters used now and then. I prefer client, but then I'm old-style and unreformed.