What is the probation service?
The probation service is a criminal justice agency that works with people who have committed crimes, before and after they are sentenced in court.
South Yorkshire Probation supervises over 7,000 offenders within the community every year. We monitor their behavior and the risks they pose to themselves and others, while overseeing their punishment and rehabilitation. The majority of our caseload are men and women given community sentences by the court but we also work closely with our colleagues in the prison service to manage the resettlement of prisoners released from custody.
About Us
South Yorkshire is one of 35 probation trusts in England and Wales that make up the National Probation Service.
The geographical area of South Yorkshire comprises of the metropolitan districts of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. There are over 700 members of probation staff in South Yorkshire, based in 20 locations including our main offices, the courts, approved premises and prisons. The aims of the service nationally are:
Protection of the public
Protecting the public is the key aim to which all our efforts are directed. We take a lead role in judging how much of a risk an offender is to society – in terms of committing further offences and causing harm to other people.
Our experienced and well-trained staff advise the courts on appropriate community sentences, supervise offenders on community sentences and also supervise offenders upon release from prison.
We may also decide that it would be best for an offender to reside at one of our approved premises where they can be closely monitored. We also work closely with other organisations, such as the police, local drug treatment providers and health authorities.
Reduction of re-offending
Reducing the number of crimes committed is part and parcel of protecting the public. As part of their community sentence some offenders are required to attend specific programmes to address the cause of their offending behaviour.
These programmes may deal with an offender's ability to make life decisions and how their decisions affect other people. They may force an offender to confront, understand and control their violent behaviour or they may deal with drink-driving.
We may have to deal with drug dependency and we work with, for example, the health service or other drug treatment specialists to deal with this.
The proper punishment of offenders
It is important to dispel the myth that community sentences are a soft option. They are a punishment, like all sentences handed down by our courts.
Community sentences make big demands on offenders. If they don't meet the demands they are returned to the courts for re-sentencing. The sentences also contain constructive elements aimed at rehabilitating the offender, because that is the best way to reduce future crime.
The probation service's task is to match the offender to the right punishment, the sentence most likely to achieve the best results for society as a whole.
Based on an offender interview and other information our staff use their experience and skills to present a report to the magistrate or judge, advising the courts on an appropriate sentencing option.
Ensuring offenders awareness of the effects of crime on victims of crime and the public
A key part of rehabilitating offenders is for them to confront the effects of their offending. Probation staff also work with the victims of violent or sexual crime where the offender has been sentenced to a year or more in prison. They keep the victim informed about the progress of the sentence and may consult the victim about conditions of release.
The rehabilitation of offenders
In addition to ensuring the 'proper punishment of offenders' we aim to rehabilitate offenders – giving them the opportunity to become positive members of our communities.
A whole host of factors can be behind people's crimes. These can include drugs and alcohol dependency, lack of basic skills such as numeracy and literacy, unstable backgrounds, the inability to deal with the life situations and decisions most of us take for granted.
Our supervision and various programmes are designed to tackle the underlying causes of their offending. We also make use of the expertise of other organisations, both voluntary and statutory. This includes training and education, welfare rights and debt counselling and drug and alcohol services.
It is unrealistic to think that all offenders will respond positively. But many do stop offending. Some secure jobs and some go on to college. It's difficult and painstaking work but it's helping to bring down crime.
For more information on the work of the probation service, you can download the following leaflet: