Against the backdrop of some important changes to the criminal justice system, this article reports an evaluation of an advice and support service in a large magistrates’ court. We also identify the main local drivers for the establishment of this service, namely the requirement to address the presence of several groups of low risk offenders on the probation caseload. Observations were made of the service’s day-to-day practices and interviews were conducted with key court personnel and a sample of the service’s clients. The findings identify two main issues: the ways in which the service engaged with offenders and court personnel; and the dilemmas associated with working in partnership with other agencies. We conclude by noting that despite various tensions and dilemmas, the service was highly valued by probation, magistrates and service users.
Blunkett, D. ( 2004) Reducing Crime - Changing Lives: The Government’s Plans for Transforming the Management of Offenders. London : Home Office.
2.
Burnett, R. and McNeill, F. ( 2005) ‘The Place of the Officer-Offender Relationship in Assisting Offenders to Desist from Crime’, Probation Journal52: 221-242.
3.
Byrne, D. ( 2001) Unlocking Advice: CAB Partnerships in Prisons, Probation Services and Courts. London: National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.
4.
Canvin, K., Jones, C., Marttila, A., Burström and Whitehead, M. (2007) ‘Can I Risk Using Public Services? Perceived Consequences of Seeking Help and Health Care among Households Living in Poverty: Qualitative Study’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health61: 984-989.
5.
Carter, P. ( 2003) Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime: A New Approach. London: The Strategy Unit, Home Office.
6.
Casey, L. ( 2008) Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime. London: Cabinet Office.
7.
Dawson, P. and Cuppleditch, L. ( 2007) An Impact Assessment of the Prolific and Other Priority Offender Programme. Home Office Online Report08/07. London: Research Development and Statistics Directorate, Home Office. Available only in PDF through the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds
8.
Dorn, N. and Seddon, T. ( 1996) ‘Welfare, Partnership and Crime Reduction: Aspects of Court Referral Schemes for Drug Users’, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy3: 57-70.
9.
Farrall, S. and Maruna, S. ( 2004) ‘Desistance-focused Criminal Justice Policy Research: Introduction to a Special Issue on Desistance from Crime and Public Policy’ , The Howard Journal43: 358-367.
10.
Faulkner, D. ( 2008) ‘The New Shape of Probation in England and Wales: Values and Opportunities in a Changing Context’, Probation Journal55: 71-83.
11.
Gibbs, A. ( 2001) ‘Partnerships between the Probation Service and Voluntary Sector Organisations’, British Journal of Social Work31: 15-27.
12.
Home Office (2002) Justice for All. Cm. 5563. Norwich: The Stationery Office.
13.
Home Office (2007) Understanding the Prolific and Other Priority Offender Programme. London : Home Office.
14.
Home Office (2009) Integrated Offender Management: Government Policy Statement. London : Home Office.
15.
McCulloch, T. and McNeill, F. ( 2007) ‘Consumer Society, Commodification and Offender Management’, Criminology and Criminal Justice7: 223-242.
16.
McKenna, K. ( 2007). Evaluation of the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre . London: Ministry of Justice Research Unit.
17.
McLaughlin, E. and Muncie, J. ( 2000) ‘The Criminal Justice System: New Labour’s New Partnerships’, in J. Clarke, S. Gewitz and E. McLaughlin (eds) New Managerialism, New Welfare. London: Open University and SAGE.
18.
McNeill, F. ( 2006) A Desistance Paradigm for Offender Management’, Criminology and Criminal Justice6: 39-62.
19.
National Probation Directorate (2001) A New Choreography: An Integrated Strategy for the National Probation Service for England and Wales. London: National Probation Directorate.
20.
Raine, J. ( 2002) ‘Modernisation and Criminal Justice’, in D. Ward, J. Scott and M. Lacy (eds) Probation: Working for Justice, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
21.
Robinson, G. and Burnett, R. ( 2007) ‘Experiencing Modernisation: Frontline Probation Perspectives on the Transition to a National Offender Management Service’ , Probation Journal54(4): 318-337.
22.
Rumgay, J. ( 2003) ‘Partnerships in the Probation Service’, in W.H. Chui and M. Nellis (eds) Moving Probation Forward: Evidence, Arguments and Practice. Harlow: Pearson Education/Longman.
23.
Ryan, M.,Savage, S. and Wall, D. (eds) ( 2001) Policy Networks in Criminal Justice. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
