Groupwork in the Probation Service: Care or Control in the 1990s (From Groupwork With Offenders, P 32-43, 1993, Allan Brown and Brian Caddick, eds. - See NCJ-158762)

• NCJ Number: 158765
• Author(s): P Senior
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: Whiting and Birch
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Group work with offenders by the probation service of England and Wales has expanded in recent years both as a method of social work practice and as an organizational form for the delivery of noncustodial options.

Abstract

In the 1990's, the preference for narrow operational and measurable goals will curb creative practice and produce a uniformity of service provision. Justifying groups in which empowerment or social action are the main aims will be difficult. Groups tied closely with the wishes the sentencers and the requirements of the new Criminal Justice Act will inevitably push the probation service to embody the concerns of routine oversight rather than the merits of social work intervention. As probation officers take on the role of brokers rather than service providers, the form of group work and the commitment to it may change. Changes in training to reflect the interests of the Home Office will also make it unlikely that the probation service will sustain its tradition of creativity and innovation. Nevertheless, the potential remains for broad policy initiatives to be diluted or even subverted as the grassroots level.