Enforcement

The Probation Service supervises offenders awaiting trial, in prison, and in the community. A breach of supervision requirements can lead to court action against an offender and a possible prison sentence.

When dealing with a convicted offender, courts will take advice from probation officers before passing sentence. An increasing range of probation orders and community sentences are now available to courts, including special ones for youth offenders, sex offenders and those with drug problems.

Many offenders are sentenced to a term of Unpaid Work, involving reparation through unpaid work on local projects. Graffiti removal, decorating projects, gardening projects and canal clearances are just some of the work undertaken in local communities throughout the West Midlands.

Rehabilitation

The Probation Service provides treatment and practical support for offenders who wish to reform themselves. Group work, using cognitive behaviour methods, is used to help sex offenders, violent offenders, drink drivers, domestic abusers and first-time criminals among others to break the cycle of offending and conviction.

Bail Support programmes, in conjunction with police and partners, offer help to individuals wishing to avoid further offending. Over 90 voluntary mentors are now helping younger offenders to get back into employment or education and away from crime, while many probation staff are also now seconded to Youth Offending Teams

Through Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, the Probation Service is now working with drug addicted offenders to reduce and eliminate serious drug habits. We are helped in this by several West Midlands-based drug treatment agencies who now receive funding from the service.

Protection

The Probation Service plays a key role in the potential release of prisoners by producing reports which combines risk and dangerousness assessments with community supervision proposals. These assist parole and lifer review boards and the Sentence Enforcement Unit of the Prison Service in deciding when to release, and on what terms and conditions.

We maintain seven Home Office-approved Bail Hostels in the West Midlands, which provide temporary accommodation for offenders awaiting trial or on release from prison. Residents are closely supervised and subject to overnight curfews, and day time restrictions where appropriate.

The Probation Service also works closely with the police and other partners in Multi Agency Public Protection Panels (MAPPPs). There are 21 MAPPPs in the West Midlands, where all agencies with statutory responsibilities for sex offenders and other dangerous individuals meet to ensure the public are kept safe from harm.

For more information on the Probation Service's work, click on one of the following links:
Working in Courts
Offender Management
Working with Prisoners
Helping Victims of Crime