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Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2023

Katharina Maier, Michael Weinrath, Rosemary Ricciardelli and Gillian Foley

In the current chapter, we examine the nature, distribution and experiences of probation in Canada. More specifically, drawing upon in-depth interviews with probationer loved…

Abstract

In the current chapter, we examine the nature, distribution and experiences of probation in Canada. More specifically, drawing upon in-depth interviews with probationer loved ones, we examine the experiences of what we refer to as secondary supervision. The concept captures how individuals with a loved one (i.e. family member or partner) on probation understand, make sense of and feel affected by their loved one’s probation order. Complementing existing literature on the collateral consequences of incarceration or ‘secondary prisonization’, we show how secondary supervision burdens probationer loved ones mentally and emotionally as they must navigate the uncertainties of their loved one’s legally precarious status. We highlight the necessity of expanding probation research and of our thinking about ‘mass supervision’ to consider the collateral and unintended consequences of community-based supervision.

Details

Punishment, Probation and Parole: Mapping Out ‘Mass Supervision’ In International Contexts
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-194-3

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Article
Publication date: 12 March 2014

Emma Plugge, Anees Ahmed Abdul Pari, Janet Maxwell and Sarah Holland

There are currently over 300,000 offenders in England and Wales and the majority, around 240,000, are in the community on probation. However, there is a paucity of research on…

Abstract

Purpose

There are currently over 300,000 offenders in England and Wales and the majority, around 240,000, are in the community on probation. However, there is a paucity of research on their health and healthcare needs. The purpose of this paper is to explore issues around health and access to health services for those on probation. In particular the paper explores what people on probation consider to be the key health issues currently affecting them, and to identify barriers to accessing healthcare in the community.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors ran six focus groups with a total of 41 participants; two were with staff and the others with men and women on probation. In each focus group, the researchers used semi-structured guide and the discussions were recorded electronically and then transcribed. The paper adopted a thematic analytical framework and used NVivo 7 to facilitate analysis.

Findings

Both probationers and professionals largely agreed about the key issues which included substance use and mental health problems. However, the most important issue for probationers was dealing with the stress of being on probation which was not generally recognised by professionals. All participants recognised the impact of issues such as housing, finances and employment on the wellbeing of probationers and were concerned about the lack of access to health services, in particular mental health and alcohol services.

Research limitations/implications

This was a small study conducted in one part of England and therefore it is not clear that the findings are generalisable. However, it raises important issues about the mental health needs of probationers and the lack of appropriate services for them. Effective services may have positive impact on re-offending and further research is needed to evaluate models of care.

Practical implications

The challenge remains for local health service commissioners and providers and the probation service to work together to provide appropriate and accessible services for all those on probation.

Originality/value

Nearly one-quarter of a million people are on probation at any one time in the UK but the existing evidence on their health is patchy and dated. Little is known about effective health interventions or the extent to which their health needs are met. This study shows that probationers see the stress of being on probation as their most important health concern. Both probationers and staff recognise that mental health and substance use are persistent problems and that these important health needs in these areas are not being met by existing services.

Details

International Journal of Prisoner Health, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-9200

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Article
Publication date: 28 June 2011

Franklin Obeng‐Odoom and Stephen Ameyaw

The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent to which the process of becoming a surveyor in Ghana mirrors a broad conception of professionalism.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent to which the process of becoming a surveyor in Ghana mirrors a broad conception of professionalism.

Design/methodology/approach

The work is grounded in field research in the form of interviews/survey conducted by the authors in Ghana. The sample is drawn in such a way that the work benefits from the experiences of people at different levels of surveying training.

Findings

The study reveals that professional surveying training in Ghana is effective but narrow: senior surveyors do provide mentoring to probationers, but they engage in poor labour practices; probationers do obtain professional training, but many of their expectations are not met. While there are both costs and benefits to the mentors and mentees, the study finds that, on balance, the process of professionalisation is designed to favour a few owners of surveying firms.

Practical implications

It is the intention of the authors that this work would contribute to a process of “conscientisation”. The paper provides part of the basis for young surveyors to reject being passive recipients of instruction to becoming active workers and professionals who have a deep awareness of the social reality which shapes their professional lives and understand how they can reshape that reality.

Originality/value

This research work is the first study of the state of professionalism and work conditions of surveyors in Ghana. The study sheds light on the conditions under which surveyors work and shows how professional they are. On the one hand, this study provides the opportunity for prospective surveyors in Ghana to reflect on their aspiration before embarking on that “journey”. On the other hand, it gives practising surveyors a basis for reflecting on how the profession can be improved.

Details

Property Management, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

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Article
Publication date: 9 July 2019

Victoria D. Ojeda, Laura Romero and Arisa Ortiz

The purpose of this paper is to describe a sustainable free laser tattoo removal clinic for economically disadvantaged adult probationers.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a sustainable free laser tattoo removal clinic for economically disadvantaged adult probationers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes the partnerships, methods and challenges/lessons learned from the implementation of a free monthly laser tattoo removal program for adult probationers within a medical school setting in California.

Findings

Possible patients are identified via a collaboration with the county’s Probation Department. Founded in 2016, this monthly program has provided tattoo removal services to >37 adult patient probationers, many of whom receive follow-up treatments. Clients seek to remove about four blue/black ink tattoos. Since its inception, 23 dermatology residents have volunteered in the program. Challenges to patients’ ongoing participation primarily pertain to scheduling issues; strategies for overcoming barriers to participation are provided. No safety concerns have emerged.

Social implications

Programs such as this public-private partnership may benefit probationers by eliminating financial barriers associated with tattoo removal. This model supports the training of cohorts of dermatologists seeking community service opportunities related to laser medicine. Others seeking to implement a similar program may also consider expanding treatment days/times to facilitate access for working probationers, providing enrollment options for other health and social services (e.g. public insurance, food stamp programs) and hosting a mobile onsite clinic to address clients’ physical and mental health needs.

Originality/value

This paper describes a unique collaboration between law enforcement and a medical school and it may assist other jurisdictions in establishing free tattoo removal programs for the benefit of probationers. The methods described overcome challenges regarding the implementation of this specialized clinical service.

Book part
Publication date: 21 March 2023

Kyros Hadjisergis

The landscape of the Probation Service in England and Wales continues to be challenged by issues of priorities, workload, and lack of meaningful relationships between offenders…

Abstract

The landscape of the Probation Service in England and Wales continues to be challenged by issues of priorities, workload, and lack of meaningful relationships between offenders and practitioners. In this climate of uncertainty and ‘transformation’, vulnerable offenders on probation become the ones mostly affected due to management plans and license conditions that do not respond to the variability of their needs. This chapter explores the older individuals on probation and uses the framework of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to examine the extent to which it may accommodate the needs of this group of offenders in an otherwise risk-based context. This study draws ideas from previous research of the author and aims to develop the existing limited academic attention that older offenders supervised under specialised probation contexts have received. The structure of the chapter remains doctrinal in nature as a response to the need for a more comprehensive and inclusive perception of the risk of reoffending later in life and its implications for bespoke community reintegration strategies. This approach also allows for theorisation of MAPPA’s multi-agency structure and its prospects for the rehabilitation of older offenders. This study finds that as MAPPA only manages violent and sexual offenders, the ‘older MAPPA offender’ becomes a special category for probation that may exhibit a variety of needs and life circumstances. It thereby becomes even more important for these offenders that a constructive working relationship between them and the probation officer is in place. This supports the latter in appreciating what factors lead the individual to offending later in life, and what interventions may be most effective to address their risk of reoffending as well as their needs in the community.

Details

Not Your Usual Suspect: Older Offenders of Violence and Abuse
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-887-6

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Book part
Publication date: 21 May 2012

Barry Kushner and Saville Kushner

This chapter looks at the role qualitative evaluation can play in the external review of the Probation Service, the development of an evaluation framework for ongoing assessment…

Abstract

This chapter looks at the role qualitative evaluation can play in the external review of the Probation Service, the development of an evaluation framework for ongoing assessment and how it can be used to develop new elements of the service. How is this different from the use of existing data by the service?

This takes us to the kind of information that is used by the probation service, to make judgements about the effectiveness of its programmes and the impact on offenders. The main contention is that this is in the main quantitative data, and reports on levels of re-offending. The data is standardised so that it can be used to make comparisons between different types of sentence and criminal justice intervention.

Our contention is that this information is limited in what it says for two main reasons. Firstly, quantitative data tends to report on impact, that is whether an offender has committed another crime after engagement with the probation service, or whether there are patterns of behaviour between offences, individual circumstances and the likelihood or re-offending. In short, the data is a snapshot of whether an offender has changed his or her behaviour or not. However, this chapter will illustrate how quantitative data misses an understanding of how behaviour changes and why behaviour does not change. As a result, this leaves the service with a limited understanding of how it is working.

Secondly, the chapter will argue that the existing probation framework itself creates quite specific definitions of which data is relevant and which data is not relevant. We will give examples of narratives that offenders offer in group sessions that provide rich material about their lives, pressures and offence. But evidence suggests that this information is not used to inform programmes, re-assess and review an offender's own progression towards re-offending or a life without crime.

Details

Perspectives on Evaluating Criminal Justice and Corrections
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-645-4

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2006

Robin J. Peace

The purpose of this paper is to apply a consensus‐based definition of the adult‐learning theory of andragogy to police probationer training in England and Wales and to identify…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply a consensus‐based definition of the adult‐learning theory of andragogy to police probationer training in England and Wales and to identify whether the requisite learning outcomes, when aligned to a community‐oriented policing strategy, are adequately addressed by the current police training methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

The reasons behind the new approach to police probationer training are identified with reference to British government literature. Proposed revisions to the structure of the training regime are identified, taking cognizance of the community‐oriented neighborhood‐policing strategy advocated by the British government. Six criteria of a consensus‐based definition of the theory of andragogy are applied to the police model of training to establish whether or not it conforms to true andragogical principles. Furthermore, the proposals for a revised probationer program are examined to identify whether the training methodology and curriculum content will adequately prepare students as neighborhood police officers.

Findings

It is apparent that only marginal adherence to the principles of andragogy is observed in police probationer training in England and Wales, which could in turn render any expectations of this methodology unfounded. It is also highly unlikely that true andragogy is attainable within any professional development arena. Furthermore, the proposals for a new probationer‐training program and the methodology employed in police training do not accord with the neighborhood‐policing philosophy for the future.

Originality/value

The paper identifies reasons why police training in England and Wales cannot claim to be andragogical, and why the new training regime and delivery methodology will not address the specific skills required by neighborhood police officers. It is, however, acknowledged that both andragogy and pedagogy can be complementary and will support the learning requirements of neighborhood policing if they are applied appropriately.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

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Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2023

Ioan Durnescu and Andrada Istrate

In the current chapter, we discuss the shape and contours of the field of probation in Romania as they appear in scientific literature and mass media, focusing on the concerns…

Abstract

In the current chapter, we discuss the shape and contours of the field of probation in Romania as they appear in scientific literature and mass media, focusing on the concerns academics and professionals have voiced about Romanian probation. We analyse the timeframe from 2014 to 2021, after the introduction of the country’s New Penal Code (NPC). We structure our argument as follows. The chapter begins with a short incursion into the historiography of probation as a field in Romania. The focus, however, is on the adoption of a NPC in 2014, as this was a significant moment that led to changes for both probation workers and probationers. While we present the first 25 years since probation was instituted in Romania in 1997 as a period of experiments, trials and errors, we aim to highlight the development and consolidation that occurred in the period after 2014 (see Durnescu 2008, 2015; Preda, 2015a, 2017; Sandu, 2016). The NPC was intended to bring forward a reconfiguration of the probation system in Romania (Preda, 2015b). Beyond the promise of the NPC, the 2014–2021 period is one where probation edges into the public sphere via extensive media coverage, including the considerable number of probationers or a string of protests by probation counsellors who felt overworked and overwhelmed. We continue the chapter by analysing the composition and the dynamics of the probation population, always looking beyond the mere numbers to other analytic markers (i.e. numbers of obligations and lengths of the probation period). We conclude the chapter by arguing that our discussion of the ‘weight’ of supervision adds to the current understanding of mass supervision by looking at the aggregated impact that different social, political, penal and cultural factors have on probation practice. In other words, large caseloads, limited human resources, precarious material conditions and negative organisational cultures are likely to generate supervision experiences that can be better interpreted by looking and thinking beyond numbers.

Details

Punishment, Probation and Parole: Mapping Out ‘Mass Supervision’ In International Contexts
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-194-3

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 21 September 2015

Brad Barber and Bronwen Lichtenstein

U.S. health policy promotes HIV testing and linkage to care (test-and-treat) with an emphasis on high risk groups such as convicted offenders. We sought to identify whether or not…

Abstract

Purpose

U.S. health policy promotes HIV testing and linkage to care (test-and-treat) with an emphasis on high risk groups such as convicted offenders. We sought to identify whether or not laws for mandatory HIV disclosure to sexual partners are a barrier to HIV testing among offenders under community supervision.

Methodology/approach

A total of 197 probationers and parolees were surveyed in a closed/item-open-ended item methodology on two reporting days in Alabama. Three main questions were asked: (1) What do offenders know about HIV? (2) What do they know about the law? (3) Do they support mandatory disclosure and HIV testing? Data for the quantitative items were analyzed with SPSS and matched with open-ended responses for explanatory purposes.

Findings

Testing and criminalization of non-disclosure were fully supported as key elements of HIV prevention. This support was framed by conceptions of HIV as a killer disease, of people with HIV as potential murderers, and by low self-awareness of HIV risk.

Social implications

While the study involved only a single group of convicted offenders in a southern state, the results suggest that disclosure laws legitimize HIV stigma and undermine test-and-treat strategies among communities at risk.

Originality/value

The research is the first of its kind to investigate possible links between HIV criminalization and barriers to HIV prevention and care among convicted offenders.

Details

Education, Social Factors, and Health Beliefs in Health and Health Care Services
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-367-9

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Article
Publication date: 1 June 2004

Roger Harris, Michele Simons and Pam Carden

In the 1990s, one of Australia's police services moved from a centralised, academy‐based system of training towards a more integrated model of professional development. As a…

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Abstract

In the 1990s, one of Australia's police services moved from a centralised, academy‐based system of training towards a more integrated model of professional development. As a consequence, probationary constables spent reduced time in the police academy (6 months) before moving into the workplace for 18 months of work‐based learning. This paper explores how those changes affected the ways in which probationary constables are viewed and accepted into the workforce. A useful model for this exploration is that of legitimate peripheral participation, as advocated by Lave and Wenger in 1991. Although Lave and Wenger acknowledge that peripherality, rather than being a negative term, allows for an understanding of inclusion into a community of practice, there is still a long journey to be travelled before full acceptance is accorded to the newcomer. By exploring the “voices” of the probationers and their senior officers, the conflicts and difficulties that arose during their work‐based probation and the negotiations required to help develop competent police officers, it is possible to trace the journey of probationary constables from periphery to a more central acceptance. This paper explores how the probationary constables were viewed and accepted into the workforce to become full and trusted members of a community of practice.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

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1 – 10 of 329