Friday 24 June 2016

Probation and Europe

Vivian Geiran, Director of the Irish Probation Service (a former Probation Officer) delivered the Nineteenth Annual Bill McWilliams Memorial lecture which was held on a rain sodden Monday 20th June at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University with the grandiloquent title of 'Penal Reform and Probation in Europe: Positive Change of Direction, 'Nudges to the Rudder' or 'Steady as she goes'. Acting as the Interlocutor was the estimable Probation academic Professor Rob Canton, readers might be interested in some edited highlights from this event (full text of which will be available in due course).

The tone of the delivery was measured, informative and upbeat, whilst acknowledging the malign impact of some of the more destructive political interventions that have reshaped probation which colleagues will be painfully familiar with in England and Wales, he offered a broad brush overview of developments across European Justice areas. The Irish Probation Service has statutory oversight of around 10k 'offenders' and 14 prisons, but still derives its probation heritage from what he noted as this country being the 'cradle of European Probation' with a resolute indebtedness to the shared history of probation centred on the 1907 Probation of Offenders Act, which still holds a central place in framing the core relational elements of probation 'advise, assist and befriend' and which had he opined had 'stood the test of time'. He alluded to the chilling effects of political interventions in penal matters often prompted by 'high profile offences' - presently in the Irish context that of gang related violence in Dublin - which often invited robust, toughened penal measures that 'chewed up' more evidenced informed approaches to community safety and more established and confident supervisory oversight.

Citing some of the latest academic literature on best practice, penal overreach (mass supervision!) service user participation and voice, EU Victims directive and evaluation studies, the centrality of the connectivity of Probation globally (one of the evident spin offs of which was his references to European capitals he had visited in his Council of Europe role to bolster local probation services - which mileage might make travel writer Simon Calder blush!). 


The continuing durability of the term 'Probation' was alluded to - not in any rheumy eyed nostalgic throwback - but simply because it was so widely adopted and service users after many years of endless iterations of Offender Management speak - still refer to being 'on probation'. Although there exist many diverse organisational manifestations of how Probation systems operate across Europe (with the exception of Scotland and Slovenia!).

Drawing on other sources of good practice and insight from what he called 'strangers to practice' to support the probation endeavour - the redemptive recognition of 'second chances' and the here to stay place of EM existing alongside well argued supervisory packages, informed by the need to exploit social media (as we know it, Jim!) Aided by a grounded criminal justice consensus 'quite revolution' inspired by the energetic front line promotion of what works - to 'how to work' - that points towards the harm arising from over-imprisonment, recognises the place of hurt and suffering from offending, the centrality of relationships, proper investment in stressed communities (without ameliorative social policy measures much of the above becomes Pollyanna musings!) and how contingent events can unsettle practice and the perennial trope of effective and fearlessly engaged leadership (who now speaks for probation in the corridors of power?) also featured in his address.

Whilst solidarity and integration are fine sounding concepts (there was limited reference to the essential role of trade unions in the wider penal framework or judicial engagement!) the sense I drew from a detailed and nuanced presentation was that at the Trans-European level there are a number of well resourced and valuable probation led initiatives (readers can find link to CEP) - an organisation that was shaped at the outset by Napo - as one well respected former colleague noted in the Q&A session. By widening our field of vision to encompass insights from continental jurisdictions (pre/post EU referendum!) a rich resource of criminal and social justice practice may well offer a more optimistic lens from which to view the current dismal fragmentation evident in the dismantling of Probation (its death -knell!) under the present NPS/CRC arrangements. 


The 'rehabilitative green shoots' that offer this more upbeat scenario can be easily undermined by what Rob Canton in responding to the talk noted as a return to 'the auction of cruelty' evident when populist politicians seeking short-term crude electoral advantage promote 'tough' politicised penal measures. The corrupting influence of expansive profit-driven commercial relationships in probation - (Blog passim!) can be offset by promoting more rounded personalised narratives from service users to a wider public audience on the everyday challenges of positive change and reduced victimisation - valorising the role of Human Rights in penal policy, again within the overarching EU/UN justice framework, there are a dizzying number of such policy directives, but these seem sadly peripheral to those at the front line, were also flagged up.

Although the number of attendees (which including some esteemed former speakers) appeared to be down on previous years - especially evident in the few practitioners present - maybe this event could fall within accredited training! A 20th Bill McWilliams Memorial lecture is planned for 2017 (as is the Third World Congress of Probation in Tokyo). For hard pressed colleagues struggling to cope in an unforgiving probation landscape captured in many of Jim's blog posts, such conferences may well seem somewhat remote and detached, but remaining steadfast to the mission of probation, articulated so well in the life and work of Bill McWilliams, and through his legacy the continuing viability of the lecture series, means that speakers (whether professional or academic) retain a proper focus in their various presentations on how probation from its inception, worked towards reducing the harms of crime on communities, in this talk across continental Europe. 


Can they continue to invigorate a progressive approach towards more inclusive, restorative and evidenced informed practice. Can such engagement at the local, national and international level with practitioners, service users, policy makers and communities be sustained. Maybe next years lecture, to borrow the nautical metaphor, might once again nudge the rudder - but in which direction will the future of probation go?

Mike Guilfoyle
Associate Member Napo.

16 comments:

  1. Courtesy Gwen Stefani & NoDoubt, a song for the UK:

    "You and me
    We used to be together
    Everyday together always
    I really feel
    That I'm losing my best friend
    I can't believe
    This could be the end
    It looks as though you're letting go
    And if it's real
    Well I don't want to know"

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  2. Now we have a true free market economy

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  3. Anyone got any thoughts on how this will impact on probation?

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    Replies
    1. It wont, probation still F**ked. Seriously though, deportation of offenders in prison is an issue that will be impacted, less money i guess, more criminal justice fragmentation with potential Ireland, scotland leaving GB.

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  4. We should get more money to tackle crime as we will now ne spending less money for eu membership. Thats what vote leave told me before i voted yestetday

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    Replies
    1. Your having a giraffe. Look at the people that are going to have the power. None of them want to save our public services. Watch out nps your days are numbered.

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    2. There be loads of money. You will see. Rehabilitation is high on the agenda

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  5. I've just sat thro' an interview on TV with Chris G, who sickeningly dodged the repeated question of whether he would be putting himself forward as PM. And we thought it couldn't get any worse...

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    Replies
    1. Don't worry - his political career will be over very soon - even his colleagues now know what his limitations are.

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    2. Stranger things have happened in history.

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  6. Jim, this referendum has opened up the proportional representation argument wide open again. Following the 5m who voted for UKIP in 2015 in return for one MP, they have their revenge now . Every vote counted and how it did. I see PR as the way ahead, any comments?

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  7. I agree it flags up the need to move to PR to establish a level of parliamentary representation that allows people to feel included. This result was a bit like a national by-election with a massive protest vote that has won the day, much to the surprise of many who thought they were just 'protesting' rather than believing they could actually influence the result to such an extent or even wanted this result

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  8. Grayling as PM. I would love that. He has true leadership skills. He gets the job done. Bye bye unions. May as well cancel your napo subs now

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  9. Corbyn is going too. This day is getting better and better. Bring back blair

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  10. Someone is getting a bit carried away! Me too then. Bring back probation and get rid of the filth of the private sector vultures. We should be allowed to vote for the future of the crc's because they are going to fail miserably over the next few months. Anyone from the WL scam had problems with their pay this month? Paying the wrong salaries,and paying into the wtong accounts then WL staff trying to blame crc staff!

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  11. Colin Allars is jumping ship and moving to YJB with undignified haste - in July, none of the more usual 3 months notice/lead time on such senior posts here. Has he jumped in to a lifeboat, or was he pushed? Who will replace him? - maybe no-one, the post might just disappear again as it did when they introduced ROMs and moved Roger Hill out of his Probation figurehead job. Wouldn't hold my breath on any replacement being from a Probation background thats for sure. God forbid they draft in the likes of Yvonne Thomas, tempting them back from the private sector, though wouldn't surprise me.

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