London Probation Trust’s Chief Executive Heather Munro gives
her view on the latest probation news and discusses issues
currently facing the justice sector.
3 February 2012
Offenders and Employment
I'm delighted that the Ministry of
Justice have announced today that they will include in the Legal
Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill that there will be
changes to the time offenders need to declare their previous
convictions to prospective employers.
A review of the time for convictions to be 'spent' has been long
overdue. We know that a major factor in offenders turning
away from a life of crime is if they can gain employment.
There are already many barriers to gaining employment –
offenders have often been excluded or truanted from school, have
few qualifications and lack the skills to enter a challenging job
market. To make this even more difficult by having very
lengthy periods for declaring convictions, particularly minor
convictions was a barrier too far.
In London Probation Trust we are keen to learn from offenders
themselves about what we need to do to improve our work to reduce
their reoffending and the need to get them into 'real' jobs and the
wish to have the rules around declaring convictions amended has
been a constant theme, so great news! The next hurdle is to
persuade more employers to give offenders a chance to show they can
be great employees!
If you are an employer and would like to get involved, please see
our Employers'
Toolkit or contact us on: employability@london.probation.gsi.gov.uk
Heather
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5 January 2012
Public Enemies: the view from
inside
I enjoyed watching the BBC drama Public
Enemies. I am glad it has created a lot of interest in the
role of probation.
For a long time I have said that what
probation needs is a good drama; so that the public can get a
better understanding of what being on a community sentence or
prison licence actually involves. Of course being a drama,
Public Enemies was not an accurate portrayal of the day
job. But it did bring out many of the themes and
issues that the Probation Service grapples with, such as the
balance between restrictive requirements and the more "constructive
interventions" referred to by Eddie, the lifer.
It was possible to see how too much control
could have the opposite effect and leave an offender feeling that
prison may be an easier option. Everything in probation is
about balance and that balance between care and
control, or intervention and punishment, has been a long-running
debate both within the service and for those in government
responsible for probation policy and direction.
Public Enemies also demonstrated the
importance of the relationship between an offender and their
probation worker (though the romantic angle gave the wrong
impression in this case). We now have research to prove how
important a good, collaborative relationship between probation
officers and offenders is when it comes to reducing
reoffending. A good relationship is not a one sided affair,
and this is something we have taken on board by getting offenders
to nominate the officers they feel have made a real difference to
their lives.
Reading the hundred plus entries for the
Changing Lives awards gave me a strong indication of the importance
of that relationship. But what was clear was that it was when
staff were challenging and firm, coupled with a real belief that
someone could change – that’s made the difference. Again it's
all about balance.
I was impressed with the way the real pain of
the victims was shown, though the plot may have diminished this
slightly when the real culprit was identified. But again,
balancing the needs of victims and the duty to keep them informed
about an offender’s progress, and the opportunity to have licence
conditions such as exclusion zones was explored, alongside the
effect on Eddie's rehabilitation (he was unable to visit his only
family in their home).
I hope the drama does encourage public debate
about "rehabilitation" but also bring the service some much-needed
recognition for the very difficult and demanding work we do in
probation.
As someone who has been in probation for a
long time, I can tell you that I still find the job
challenging. And every bit as rewarding.
Heather