This Probation Service Division serves a population of just over a million people across the ‘Black Country’ boroughs of Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley.

Some 230 probation staff supervise offenders across the area and provide support to the Crown Court in Wolverhampton and to Magistrates’ Courts in Dudley, Halesowen/Stourbridge, Warley/West Bromwich, Walsall/Aldridge and Wolverhampton.

In addition, there are specialist teams responsible for overseeing community punishment orders, drug treatment and testing orders, and programmes designed to help offenders shake off the previous patterns of behaviour that got them into trouble.

Probation staff across the Black Country are seconded to local Youth Offending Teams and local multi-agency prolific, priority and other offender management teams. They also work with Area Child Protection Committees, Crime and Disorder Partnerships, Public Protection Panels, Drug Action Teams and Learning and Skills Councils.

The Probation Service is actively engaged in a number of strong partnerships with voluntary organisations to reduce crime. For example, drug and alcohol counselling services for offenders are provided by Addaction and Aquarius, and by the Warehouse project in Brierley Hill.

The Haven project in Wolverhampton provides support to victims of domestic violence. It also seeks to challenge the perpetrators’ attitudes and change the way they react to situations.

Sandwell Organisation Against Domestic Abuse (SOADA) provide a multi agency partnership service for victims of domestic abuse.

A mediation service is provided in Sandwell which gives victims of crime the opportunity to ask offenders why they did it and to overcome the trauma of their experience.

The many links between the Probation Service and other organisations throughout the Black Country reflect the reality that effective crime reduction and public protection require joint action.