The Probation Officers

Elizabeth Hickey & Patricia Kennedy

Issue 350, vol.88, Summer 1999

It recognises that the Service to date has suffered from the total absence of a policy framework, together with failures of vision and inadequate research. It puts forward concrete, well thought out and professionally informed strategy for change. Such change would involve change in the legislative base and organisational structure; the implementation of the Strategic Management Initiative; the development of clear policy objectives, job descriptions and codes of practice. It would involve the establishment of a rehabilitative structure in prisons with specialised group-work programmes for categories of prisoners and probation teams to manage temporary release on the basis of 'throughcare', a principle that also needs to be developed in special schools and hostels. A multi-disciplinary approach, utilising community development principles, is seen as the way forward in developing a more effective community based response.

While under-resourcing is undoubtedly the major problem for the Probation and Welfare Service, this is linked to a lack of commitment to rehabilitation by successive governments. The crisis the Service is experiencing is a result of the ideology underlying the country's response to criminal behaviour which would seem to be one of punishment rather than rehabilitation. If rehabilitation is the role of Probation and Welfare Officers, they must be recognised as a professional group, with the necessary skills, training and resources. Only then can work with offenders take place in a locally based inter-agency context which will allow for the required more focused specialised programmes required. A proper career and pay structure will maintain staffing levels which will facilitate long term planning and development of the Service, providing throughcare and a professional service for clients. An integrated, multi-agency response to offending is required. Such a strategy can only benefit society as a whole.
Elizabeth Hickey and Patricia Kennedy have both worked as Probation and Welfare officers in the past. They wish to thank individual staff and clients of the Probation and Welfare Service whom they consulted while researching this article