‘A difficult trip,I think’: The end days of the probation service in England and Wales?

Abstract

The probation service has been a key part of the criminal justice process for more than 100 years. It deals with more offenders than the prison service; it is more successful than prison in terms of reconviction rates, and it is considerably cheaper than prison. Its advantages as a court sentence seem to be only too clear. Yet, prison remains the gold standard for punishment in England and Wales while the probation service is facing a bleak future. How has it come about that the existence of probation is now under serious threat? That a vital public service is faced with extinction? This article explores the issues that have led to the possibility that probation’s days are numbered.

Keywords

Criminal justice policy probation service public sector decline

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