Recommendation 37

An offender’s relationship with their probation officer can be instrumental to their path away from criminal activity. It is recognised as one of the most important factors, and people who have previously been on probation told us about the influence that good probation officers have had on their lives. Probation staff can only build constructive relationships with offenders if they are appropriately trained and have manageable caseloads; this in turn requires adequate staffing levels and minimal vacancy rates.