Working with Prisoners

Prisoner Throughcare

The Probation Service and Prison work together to ensure prisoners receive the services and advice they need to successfully reintegrate into society when they're released and to protect the public from further harm.

Probation Service responsibilities

All prisoners are allocated a Probation Officer. They will keep in contact with the prisoner and maintain contact with their significant others as necessary. Interventions offered to the prisoner during their sentence are based on the criminogenic needs identified in the Social Enquiry Report (SER) and during sentence.

As well as the allocated Probation Officer, there will be a Probation Officer based at the prison (currently part-time). This post is responsible for chairing Prison Risk Assessment meetings for prisoners applying for Conditional Early Release and also pre-release. Liaison with Victim Services is included in this role.

Probation Officers will:

• supply reports to prison Reintegration Planning meetings and Conditional Early Release Panel
• work with prison personnel in relation to risk management
• represent the Probation Service on Conditional Early Release Panels and attend reintegration planning meetings

Responsibilities after release

The Probation Officer will encourage all prisoners to maintain contact after release (if appropriate) for the time that allows for their successful re-settlement.

Prison responsibilities

In addition to creating a safe environment for prisoners and dealing with the administration of their sentences, the Prison will:

• provide the Probation Service with any relevant information or intelligence about the prisoner’s circumstances, attitude or behaviour
• consider granting conditional early release to prisoners, subject to satisfactory risk assessments