Supervising Offenders in the Community A History of Probation Theory and Practice

Introduction 1.The Origins of the Probation Service: The Orthodox Accounts  2.The ‘Crusade’ Begins: The Origins of the Probation Service Revisited  3.Early Practice: Redemption, Pledges and Terrible Warnings  4.From Awakening the Conscience to Providing Insight  5.Folk Theories, Practice, and the Heyday of Treatment  6.The Emergence of Doubt: The Non-Treatment Paradigm and Alternative Therapy  7.The Rise to Dominance of Evidence-Based Practice  8.Political Pathways to Privatised Practise and Beyond  9.Theory and Practice in a Time of Uncertainty  10.The Wheel’s Still in Spin

Biography

Maurice Vanstone worked in the probation service for 27 years as a probation officer, as a staff development officer, and Director of one of the four experimental Day Training Centres. Currently, he is Emeritus Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Swansea University. His research and publications have focussed mainly on probation-related topics, in particular, the effectiveness of community sentences and the history of probation work.

“The Probation Service’s role in criminal justice has never been more important, or more vitally necessary, than today. Its impact on society and on the people under its supervision depend on the day-to-day practice of probation officers and other probation staff. Anybody who wants to understand how their practice has developed, from the earliest days to the present, and where it might go next, will find the answers in this excellent and meticulously researched book.”

Peter Raynor, FAcSS, Emeritus Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Swansea University, Wales, UK

“Vanstone's original (2004) history of supervising offenders in the community has become a classic reference book and this new edition, updating developments in the 21^st century, provides an invaluable resource for a new generation of students and researchers.”

Professor Anne Worrall, Emerita Professor of Criminology, Keele University, UK

 

“This well-researched book provides an authoritative account of the history and evolution of probation. It offers much-needed insight into the complex sociopolitical forces that have shaped policy development in this area. The book also highlights frontline perspectives whilst emphasising the importance of retaining probation’s core humanitarian orientation which must now be aligned with discernibly effective practice given the current policy climate.”

Professor Pamela Ugwudike, School of Economic, Social, and Political Sciences, University of Southampton, UK

“Supervising Offenders in the Community: A History of Probation Theory and Practice remains a classic in probation literature. This updated edition brings the same analytical depth and understanding to the tumultuous developments that have shaped probation in the first quarter of the 21^st century. The author’s contention that probation is a moral enterprise rooted in informed practice and critical self-reflection shines throughout. Essential reading for students, practitioners and policymakers alike.”

Emeritus Professor Lawrence Burke, John Moores University, UK