NCJ Number
205381
Date Published
2004
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines the views of Chief Probation Officers (CPO's) regarding the United Kingdom’s What Works initiative, a key aspect of current probation practice with a set of core programs for the supervision of offenders, focusing on a cognitive behavioral approach.
Abstract
The What Works initiative in the United Kingdom has been one of the most important developments in probation service. It involved the development and implementation on a national basis of a demonstrably effective set of core programs of supervision of offenders, with most dependent upon a cognitive behavioral approach. However, since its inception, staff views about What Works have not been examined in any detail. These views may be of vital importance to the initiative’s success. This chapter examines in detail the views and attitudes of Chief Probation Officers (CPO's) regarding key issues in their respective agencies. The study interviewed 47 CPO's (34=males and 13=females) which was completed in June 2002. The CPO's recognized the significance of What Works for the probation service. However, recognizing the significance of What Works did not mean that chiefs were whole-heartedly in favor of it. What Works was seen as a high-risk strategy. Problems were noted about the initiative, as well as staff training, the inflexibility and narrow focus of What Works programs, the marginalization of other parts of probation work with offenders, inflated expectations, the paucity of the evidence base, the speed with which the initiative had been implemented, the role of the Inspectorate, and the high targets that had been imposed. In summation, What Works, as far as CPO's were concerned, came with a number of perceived problems that threatened its potential effectiveness, but also carried major hope for the future of the National Probation Service. References