Probation : A Tarnished Brand?

Anyone who's been following this blog will know I've been getting increasingly concerned about how probation is coming to be perceived by many of our clients. Of course probation officers have always had to deal with a certain degree of complaint from clients either when we fail to deliver something or we have to exercise our public protection role. But generally speaking, under the ethos of 'advise, assist and befriend' most officers enjoyed good, supportive and constructive working relationships with their clients. There was a general understanding of our role and our place within the criminal justice system. They even used to understand when sometimes we had to recall them.

Well for anyone who might feel in need of confirmation as to exactly where our standing is currently, I suggest more than a casual glance at this brilliant website 'Prisoners Families Voices.' It makes for very uncomfortable reading, but sadly rings true in many respects and makes my heart absolutely sink. I hope the organisers of the site will not mind me quoting from several recent posts in order to give a flavour for the depth of feelings.


"My partner is on licence and he asked for another probation officer. At first they refused, but we really had to push things because the previous probation officer wasn't assisting him with anything. If these people call themselves, 'offender managers' then that job does not just entail sitting behind a desk and saying ' see you next week' on an appointment, otherwise, what really is the point of probation officers going to prison and supposedly doing resettlement plans? My partner was supposed to have one of these plans but it's been a load of rubbish. He came out of prison with loads of paperwork and goes to probation for a 5 minute check in? What's the point?"

"I would like to reply to Anon-e-mouse please. My partner too was put in to a probation hostel and he is now back in prison on recall. He used to ring me up of a night and he let me listen to the 'goings' on in there. It was disgusting. My partner was doing well in prison and went on a TC wing to address his drug use issues. I have no criminal record or even any Police warnings, yet probation thought it was best that he went in to one of their so called rehabilitation hostels to settle in to the community. That lasted 3 weeks because he could not cope anymore in there. He rang probation, I rang probation and all they kept saying was, " just try and stick with it." So what's the score with probation? Do they refuse to listen to their clients and family members? In read a post on your blog the other day where a family member said that her partner wasn't appealing his recall because he would rather not have any dealing with probation on release. My partner decided the same thing because it really is just not worth the hassle dealing with those morons!

"It's an easy procedure. There's no crime involved. All you have to do is, walk out of a probation hostel, commonly known as a crack den, go and sleep somewhere decent for the night away from the piss heads and junkies who are causing havoc, and hey presto! You're on your way to the local Cat B prison on a sweat box. Simples! The last probation hostel I went to was in, Accrington, in Lancashire. Looks great on their website, but what a dive! They ran these rehabilitation programmes. Ex offenders in the age range of between 30-40, did group sessions such as playing word games, catching Frisbee's, and feeding ducks. You don't believe me? I swear down it's true! I'm not sure whether they played Hopscotch, but saying we are talking about the UK Probation Service, I wouldn't put it past them."

Ignoring for one moment the merits of all, some, or none of the complaints, the point that this website brings home forcefully is that the Probation Service gave up long ago involving families in our work. I well remember when I joined we had a families support group in the office and assisted in organising subsidised coaches to visit far-flung prisons. We did home visits as a routine part of our work and there were concepts called Kindred Social Work and Family Therapy. Anyone remember that? 

All this has been cast aside under the guise of it no longer being part of our core work. We are no longer social workers. It's not about welfare it's all about risk isn't it? But just look at the effect all this is having. What's the point and what can we hope to achieve if we can't bring clients and their families along with us?