NCJ Number
168259
Date Published
1997
Length
109 pages
Annotation
This report solicited opinions and attitudes of British probationers regarding their probation experiences.
Abstract
The survey, which was conducted in the first half of 1994, was restricted to those who had been sentenced to a probation or combination order; the survey covered 22 of the 55 probation areas in England and Wales. The sample of offenders in each area was drawn at random, yielding a sample of 3,300 offenders; 1,213 interviews were achieved from this sample. Overall, 84 percent of the sample were currently on a probation order only, 12 percent were on a combination order, and 4 percent were on a probation order and also serving a separate community service order. Eighty-two percent said they had been previously convicted, and burglary and theft were the most common offenses for which respondents were first convicted. The interviews focused on what offenders had to say about their problems, their attitudes toward offending, and their perceptions of the supervision process. Findings show that the probation service is working with people who generally have poor school achievement, high unemployment, and a high incidence of previous convictions and drug use. Most probationers view their supervision experience positively. They give the probation service high marks for working hard to achieve its aims of reducing reoffending and encouraging and assisting offenders to lead law-abiding lives. 44 tables and 30 references