Probation, Technical Compliance and the 'Drowning' of Hope

Philips, J.; Lewis, S.; Stevens, K.; Ali, M.; Dockley, A.; Farrall, S.

Abstract

Hope and optimism are central to processes of reform. However, in the context of the dramatic restructuring and reorganisations which the probation service in England and Wales has undergone in the past decade, there are questions over the extent to which such hopes are realisable. We seek to explore the of hope in transforming individuals lives away from engagement in crime. Via an analysis of interviews that were co-produced with people with experience of probation and undertaken with practitioners, those who have been supervised and those on 'the edge' of the criminal justice system, we find that peoples' hopes can be categorised as deep or institutional hopes. We argue that many probationer's and staff members' 'deep' hopes were 'drowned' by bureaucratic, managerial and risk-focused cultures. There was evidence that probation staff wanted to instil a sense of hope in those that they supervise but that the current regime does not easily facilitate the creation and fulfilment of such hopes. We conclude by identifying ways in which probation could-given adequate resources and structures-become a more hopeful process for people under supervision.

Citation

Philips, J., Lewis, S., Stevens, K., Ali, M., Dockley, A., & Farrall, S. (in press). Probation, Technical Compliance and the 'Drowning' of Hope. British Journal of Criminology,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 21, 2025
• Deposit Date: Jan 22, 2025
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology
• Print ISSN: 0007-0955
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-3529
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Probation supervision; Hope; Compliance, Co-production
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/44425081
• Additional Information: This research was funded by Research England Participatory Research funding through the Institute for Policy and Engagement, University of Nottingham. Find out more about the Institute on their website: https://nott.ac/IPE.