Probation: Working With Offenders

This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the work of the probation service. It brings together themes of policy, theory and practice to help students and practitioners to better understand the work of probation, its limitations as well as potential, but above all its value. Setting probation in the context of the criminal justice system, the book explores its history, purposes and contemporary significance. It explains what probation is, discusses emerging ideas around offender management, and the value of an approach that centres on the idea of desistance. It considers the practice realities of working with offenders in the community. The book also covers the governance of probation and how policy and practice are responding to contemporary concerns about crime and community safety – for example through the management of risk. Although the main focus is on England and Wales, there is some discussion of other UK jurisdictions and of contemporary trends in European probation practices. This book will encourage readers to appreciate the practical and theoretical strengths and shortcomings of contemporary probation practice. Information and discussion are presented clearly, with guidance about further study and pointers towards more specialized readings. Probation: Working with Offenders will be essential reading for trainee probation officers and students of probation and offender management.

Table of Contents:
1. Probation and Criminal Justice 2. Probation’s Histories 3. Probation Values, Justice and Diversity 4. Punishment, Sentencing and Probation 5. Prison, Community Sentences and Probation’s Contribution to Sentencing 6. The Supervision of Offenders: What Works, Motivation 7. Probation practice: The ASPIRE Model, Assessment, Planning and the Offender Management Model 8. Probation practice – ASPIRE: Intervention, Evaluation and Compliance 9. Desistance, Good Lives, Relationships, Compliance 10. Probation, Risk and Public Protection 11. Community Service 12. Probation and Prison 13. Victims, Probation and Criminal Justice 14. The Local and the National 15. Areas and Their Staff 16. Some International Perspectives Afterword

About the Author :
Rob Canton is Professor and Head of Research in Community and Criminal Justice, De Montfort University, Leicester. As aformer probation officer, he has done a great deal of international work, especially on behalf of the Council of Europe, and helped to draft the European Probation Rules.

Review :
'Rob Canton's book is a pleasure to read. It is comprehensive and full of wisdom. It sets out clearly the work of the probation service , its dependence on swift changing government policies, its strengths and its weaknesses. Not only students and practitioners, but politicians and policy makers should benefit from reading it. It also contains much that will be of value and interest to people in other European countries.' - Leo Tigges, Secretary General of CEP, The European Organisation for Probation 'A superb introduction to, and overview of, the theory, the policy and the practice of probation. A volume that will be of tremendous value to all those involved in both probation training and the broader teaching of criminology and criminal justice. It is set to become a fixture on reading lists for years to come.' - Tim Newburn, Professor of Criminology and Social Policy, LSE 'This exceptional book offers an inspiring and insightful introduction to probation studies. Somehow however, perhaps because of its insistence on questions of purpose and values, it transcends its principal subject matter; offering not just a comprehensive exploration of probation, but an invitation to think differently about justice and punishment. It deserves to be read not just by probation students, staff and scholars, but by anyone interested in a more progressive and humanitarian justice system.' - Fergus McNeill, Professor of Criminology & Social Work, University of Glasgow "The book is primarily aimed at students and those training to be probation officers however it is the link between everyday probation practice and a debate about values in probation that makes the book of interest to a wider audience...The book is an interesting read. It balances the need to give some basic information to the student audience with a wider debate that has probation values at its heart. The book is thorough in its examination of the equality and diversity agenda. This analysis provides a strong argument for why probation practice in England and Wales will survive despite budget cuts and the commissioning and managerialist agenda." - Probation Journal "This important book is essential reading for all teachers, researchers, policy makers and practitioners who have an interest in the past, present and futures of probation not only in England and Wales, but also internationally." - Chris Crowther-Dowey, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Nottingham Trent University, in British Journal of Community Justice