As part of the Criminal Justice System, the National Probation Service works to protect the public, promote community safety, reduce reoffending  and prevent crime.

Although local Probation Areas may be organised differently to reflect the differences of the communities that they serve, they have the same responsibilities throughout the country.  To ensure quality and consistency across the country, the Home Office sets National Standards for most probation tasks.

The new National Offender Management Service (NOMS) will bring together and co-ordinate the work of the National Probation Service and other correctional services to ensure that court sentences are effectively implemented with the focus on end-to-end management of the individual offender.

Here are some of the tasks that Probation Officers undertake:

• Make assessments to advise Courts and others, especially about the risk posed by individual offenders.  Probation Officers prepare written reports for Court known as Pre-Sentence Reports.  The report will set out relevant personal information about the offender, an analysis of the offences, an assessment of risk and will, in most cases, make a proposal about the manner in which the offender should be sentenced.  Some officers work at Court most of the time and represent the National Probation Service as Liaison Officers.
  
  
• Manage and enforce Community Orders made by the Courts.  Probation Officers have a responsibility to ensure that the Court’s orders are carried out.  In the course of a Community Rehabilitation Order, the officer will work to change the offender’s behaviour in ways that make further offending less likely.  This may involve, for instance, participation in group programmes (usually run by specially trained Probation Officers) which research has shown to influence behaviour in this way. Officers may also be involved in managing and enforcing Community Punishment Orders where offenders undertake unpaid work as a punishment for the benefit of the community.
  
  
• Work with prisoners during and after sentence to assist in their resettlement and to implement the requirements of their licence.  Probation Officers assist in sentence management and make arrangements for release so that prisoners are settled in the community in a way that minimises the likelihood of their reoffending. Some Probation Officers work in prisons.
  
  
• Work, directly and with others, to change offenders’ behaviour and to reduce the risk of harm.  Officers work with offenders to change their attitudes and behaviour and also seek to address the needs that are linked with their offending.  Although this is sometimes done directly by the Probation Officer, Probation Areas encourage their staff to make full use of other agencies, with some of whom the Area may be in partnership and who may be better placed to undertake the necessary work.  The reduction of harm to the public is a primary responsibility of Probation Officers at all times.  Close liaison with other agencies is necessary to meet this responsibility and to help the agencies to work together in an effective and efficient manner.
  
  
• Work, directly and with others, to reduce the impact of offences on their victims. Although much of this work is undertaken through liaison with other agencies, Probation Officers may be in contact with the victims of serious crimes to advise them about matters like the offender’s expected date of release and to hear and act upon their concerns.
  
  
• Some Probation Officers work in hostels, where offenders reside on bail as a requirements of a Community Order, or on licence.
  

		More information about the work of a Probation Officer Download pdf (104k) : Download Word doc (28k) To read documents in pdf format, you will need a copy of the Adobe Acrobat reader. This is available for free from the Adobe website. To read documents in Word doc format, you will need a copy of Microsoft Word.

What prevents people from re-offending?

• attendance on effective offending behaviour programmes aimed at the right offenders, run in prison or in the community, can stop further offending
• getting a job is very effective in helping previously unemployed offenders live crime-free lives
• a high percentage of persistent offenders have a serious drug misuse problem and so they commit more crime. So getting treatment is often the first step to stop further offending
• intensive police surveillance combined with increased levels of probation supervision can work with the most 'hard core' of persistent offenders.

Much of probation staff's work involves contact with other agencies:
For more about our Criminal Justice partners visit:
www.cjsonline.org/working/

		Further information about the criminal justice system: Crime Reduction website www.crimereduction.gov.uk The Court Service www.courtservice.gov.uk The Police Service www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimpol/police/ The Probation Service www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk The Prison Service www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) www.cps.gov.uk Lord Chancellors Department www.lcd.gov.uk The Lord Chancellors Department's main role is to secure the efficient administration of justice in England and Wales.

Some Probation Officers manage hostels, where offenders reside on bail as a requirement of a Community Rehabilitation Order, or on licence.