Probation
The supervision of offenders in the community has its roots in 19th century voluntary associations such as the Church of England Temperance Movement. Today it is a complex process which pulls together accommodation, job-seeking, drug testing, counselling, administrative and information services . Following successful inolvement of the private sector in managing custodial services since the 1980's in the US and early 1990's in the UK, focus has shifted to building a framework that harnesses private and voluntary sector skills to support state provision in this area.
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Carter But Smarter: Transforming offender management, reducing reoffending (PDF)
Max Chambers, 2010
Policy Exchange
This report warns that the official reoffending rate is unsafe. It recommends a radical shake-up of the criminal justice system in order to reduce reoffending, including the abolition of the regional structure of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the introduction of new public-private partnerships to reduce crime and recidivism.
UK
The Role of the Third Sector in Work With Offenders: The Perceptions of Criminal Justice and Third Sector Stakeholders (PDF)
Meek, Dr Rose; Gojkovic, Dr Dina and Mills, Dr Alice, 2010
Third Sector Research Centre
A paper examining the views of national criminal justice and third sector stakeholders on the strategic position of the sector and its role in the resettlement of offenders.
UK
Reducing Re-offending: Creating the Right Framework (PDF)
Barbary, Victoria, 2007
New Local Government Network
A paper examining the Government's proposals in the Offender Management Bill for greater contestability in probation services and the use of Regional Offender Managers within the commissioning framwork.
UK
Beating Re-Offending: The Third Sector Solution
Elsworth, Seb, 2007
Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO)
A briefing that sets out the case for greater third sector involvement within the commissioning framework that NOMS is designed to set up. It includes examples of successful local offender management initiatives that have already been set up in several communities.
ISBN 1 900685 38 8
UK
Lessons from Prison Privatisation for Probation
Liebling, Alison, 2006
Ch.6 from 'Reshaping Probation and Prisons: The New Offender Management Framework', Mike Hough, Rob Allen and Una Padel (eds), PolicyPress
ISBN 10 1 86134 812 6
UK
A Five Year Strategy for Protecting the Public and Reducing Re-offending (PDF)
Home Office, 2006
The Stationery Office
Plans for reforming the criminal justice system including the introduction of a system built on the commissioning of services from expert providers and a phased programme of contestability.
UK
The Impact of Corrections on Re-Offending: A Review of 'What Works' (PDF)
Harper, Gemma and Chitty, Chloe (Eds), 2005
Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
ISBN 1 84473 497.8
UK
Partnership in Working with Young Offenders with Substance Misuse Problems
Minkes, Jonathan; Hammersley, Richard and Raynor, Peter, 2005
The Howard Journal, Vol. 44, No.3 (July) pp. 254-268
An article which looks at the quality of relationships between youth offending teams and substance misuse projects run by voluntary and statutory agencies.
UK
Reducing Crime, Changing Lives: The Government's Plans for Transforming the Management of Offenders (PDF)
Blunkett, David, 2004
Home Office
The Government's response to the Carter Review which endorses the application of contestability to the delivery of correctional services and outlines the Government's intention to encourage private companies and not-for-profit organisations to compete for work.
UK
Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime: A New Approach (PDF)
Carter, Patrick, 2003
Prime Minister's Strategy Unit
Review of correctional services which proposes the establishment of the National Offender Management Service to provide end-to-end offender management. Greater use of competition from the private and voluntary sectors is put forward as a way of improving effectiveness and value for money.
UK
Partnerships Between the Probation Service and Voluntary Sector Organizations
Gibbs, Anita, 2001
British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 31, pp. 15-27
This paper considers the development of partnerships between probation and the volutary sector in the early 1990's in England and Wales and compares these to Crime and Disorder Partnerships for crime prevention as introduced by the 1998 Criminal Justice Act.
UK
Privatising Community Corrections: Report for Families, Youth and Community Care Queensland (PDF)
McCarthy, Carole; Wilson, Paul and Lincoln, Robyn, 2000
Centre for Applied Psychology and Criminology, Bond University
Australia
Pitfalls and Prospects in Partnership: Probation Programmes for Substance Misusing Offenders
Rumgay, Judith and Cowan, Sharon, 1998
The Howard Journal, Vol. 37, No.2 (May) pp. 124-136
A report drawing on a study of partnerships between probation and substance misuse agencies in England and Wales which looks at how far relationships are influenced by the use of financial contracts for the services of voluntary agencies.
UK
Partnership in Practice: The Experience of Two Probation Services
Cross, Beverley, 1997
The Howard Journal, Vol. 36, No.1 pp. 62-79 (February)
A report drawing on a study of two probation services' partnerships with the voluntary sector in their areas which looks at the conditions constituting good practice.
UK
Probation Partnerships, Voluntary Action and Community Justice
Nellis, Mike, 1995
Social Policy and Administration, Vol. 29, No.2 (June) pp.91-109
A paper outlining the the origins and implications of the Tory Government's policy in the late eighties and early nineties to encourage the Probation Service to develop increased partnership with voluntary sector agencies.
UK
Contracting for Community Corrections Services (PDF)
Jensen, Christy; Lieber, Harley; Scherman, Richard and Smith Thiel, Karen , 1987
National Institute of Corrections, US Department of Justice
A handbook on contracting which is based on understanding the process as a series of interlocking decisions.
US