Ironically, on the eve of its centenary, the probation service–despite its unique position within the criminal justice system–is in greater danger of extinction than at any time in its history. This article argues that populist-driven policies offer little in the way of public protection against crime or reduction in the harm caused by it. Instead, it promotes the case for a renewed political commitment to probation by arguing for a constructive, evidence-based approach to community sentences based on the principle of consent, community participation, and self-sentencing–probationers sharing responsibility for devising their own rehabilitation programmes that exploit their strengths rather than their weaknesses.
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