Acknowledgements

I would like to thank The Humberside Probation Service for their co-operation in producing this report. Also Gwen Williams from the Humberside Community Punishment Unit who has assisted greatly in the collation of evidence. Also all the people who took part in interviews both offenders and those that work within the criminal justice system.

1. INTRODUCTION-ANALYSIS OF THE PROBATION SERVICE

Historically Restorative Justice has not been a popular concept in England, even though its' transformational power for the victim has been well documented by psychologists. It works because the victim can collaborate in dealing with the offender. Meeting the offender can also help the victim develop an understanding of what has happened to them. The Humberside Probation Service have undertaken good development work with victims in the service. A communication strategy is being developed to promote work with victims and develop partnerships with other organisations operating within the criminal justice system. They also have recommendations from government on how to improve social inclusion this includes such initiatives as What Works - which is an implementation of accredited programmes that offenders undertake whilst serving their sentence, both custodial and non- custodial. These are in line with the National Standards and Victims Charter. The Association of Chief of Probation (ACOP) and her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) have agreed that 'probation services should aim to ensure that every offender is supervised in accordance with those principles which have been shown to reduce expected rates of re-offending' and these bodies state they expect to have made substantial progress by the end of 2001. The Home Secretary's "priorities and Action Plans" for the service for 2000/01 states the probation service should:
"Participate in the Welfare to Work programmes and review and enhance strategies for generating employment training and education opportunities for offenders, with particular emphasis on literacy and basic skills provision"
Home Office Probation Circular 25/5/2000 32/200
This is in order to fit with the governments' wider policies on social inclusion. There are also new policies on protecting the public and according to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act to commence on April 1st 2001 there should be much more partnership working in the criminal justice and social services departments "to make joint arrangements for the assessment and management of the risks posed by sexual, violent and other offenders who may course serious harm to the public" see. Appendix i.

2. POSITION OF THE AGENCY IN THE PENAL SYSTEM