Travelling in the wrong direction? A critical commentary on the consultation paper Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence. (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burke, Lol; Collett, Steve; Stafford, John; Murray, Peter
• Is Part Of: Probation journal. Volume 65:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 439
• Page End: 446
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: Transforming Rehabilitation -- probation service -- Payment by Results -- markets -- desistance -- community rehabilitation companies -- local governance -- voluntary and community sector; Probation -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 364.6305
• DOI: 10.1177/0264550518809876
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-5505

Abstract

The Ministry of Justice's Consultation Paper – Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence – launched by Justice Secretary David Gauke in July 2018, represents a revisionist view of the recent history of the probation service in which many of its assertions are incoherent, disingenuous and disconnected from the lived realities of both those who offend and local communities having to deal with the impact of austerity on local services. In addition, the consultation process itself is disingenuous in that it presents the failure of the Transforming Rehabilitation initiative as one of technical oversights and misjudgements that can be put right through a series of relatively minor adjustments. Answers to the 17 consultation questions, however insightful and helpful they may be, will do nothing to deal with the underlying difficulties of Transforming Rehabilitation.