NCJ Number
160868
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1996) Pages: 61-77
Date Published
1996
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article explores the constituent elements of entitlements to probation services for its service users in the United Kingdom.
Abstract
Although both the courts and the community are users of the probation service, this article defines the term as "those individuals receiving a service via the courts or elsewhere from probation staff." The authors prefer the term "service users" to "clients" or "customers" since it emphasizes the negotiation and receipt of a public service, albeit delivered within a semi- voluntary framework in most cases. The article first examines the concept of rights and some of its meanings that are relevant to the probation service. There are many existing legal rights for the offender, especially as they relate to the court setting and legal procedures; however, this article addresses actions and formalities concerning probation staff and supervisees that occur outside the court setting and in a variety of probation premises. The concept of user rights is placed in a developing climate that is antithetical to the further development of rights. After considering the current literature on user rights, the article classifies and delineates the various forms of rights as they apply to the probation service. Finally, the article discusses the case for more user rights and alternative routes into rights in the form of a charter. 1 table and 50 references