Assessing and managing risk is seen as a key task for probation staff and its practice is outlined by the Risk of Serious Harm Guidance. This comment piece asks whether this guidance is always applied with reference to historic or non-recent sexual offending. Using a specimen case, the process is outlined and discussed. The reasons for false positive assessments are considered as are the consequences in terms of legitimacy, desistance and resources.
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WakelingH (2022) Relapses and challenges of desistance: hearing the voices of men convicted of sexual offences on release from prison. Prison Service Journal2022: 260.
21.
WeaverE (2018) Time for policy redemption: a review of the evidence on the disclosure of criminal records. Available at https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/64981/.
