Abstract
This study aimed to explore, describe, and interpret New Zealand probation officers’ insights into supervisees’ non-compliance with community sentences. Seventeen probation officers participated in two focus groups. Probation officers viewed problems with cognitive skills as a key barrier to sentence compliance. They reported that these problems underpinned other factors linked to compliance, such as meeting basic needs and skill acquisition. Probation officers employed a number of social worker oriented evidenced-based strategies, including building high-quality relationships and being flexible, along with modification of sentence requirements to increase supervisee compliance, especially with supervisees who faced considerable obstacles when engaging with a community sentence.
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