NCJ Number
192360
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 40 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2001 Pages: 377-401
Date Published
November 2001
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This article focuses on the development of the Diploma in Probation Studies at the University of Birmingham.
Abstract
The New Labour Government in 1997 established a new form of training for probation officers, separate from social work training. The University of Birmingham is one of nine universities contracted nationally to deliver the new qualifications. The first cohort of trainees on the Diploma in Probation Studies, which began in the Midlands Probation Training, Assessment and Development Consortium in October 1998, became qualified probation officers in 2000. The Diploma in Social Studies was the first source of study for probation officers. A campaign to distinguish between the proper professionally trained probation officer and the mix of police officers and police court missionaries began in 1911. The University of Birmingham was awarded the contract to provide the BA Community Justice against strong national competition. The curriculum involves a foundation course, 14 modules drawn from the Occupational Standards, and is taught by an 8 strong core-teaching group. Various forms of written assessment are used, some of which also constitute evidence for the NVQ modules undertaken in the agency, culminating in a 10,000 word probation-related dissertation. The work of probation service is shaped by two broad areas of policy and legislation -- penal policy and crime prevention policy. Penal policy consists of 8, 4-hour sessions, gets 20 credits and is assessed by a 5,000-word essay. The topics are punishment, the development of penal policy, prison privatization, sentencing women offenders, therapeutic communities in prison, suicide in prison, community penalties, electronic tagging, and shaming penalties. 26 notes, 74 references