Court Work

Abstract

The majority of probation officers would probably tell you that their workplace is an office, but they are likely to spend a significant part of the working week in or around courtrooms. The work of the modern probation officer derives from that of the ‘police court missionary’, even if many of today’s incumbents find that ancestry amusing or embarrassing. The one thing that the many and various people who make up a probation officer’s caseload have in common is the experience of appearing in court. Much of a probation officer’s time with them will be spent discussing past, present and future court appearances. One of the most boring parts of a probation officer’s job is hanging around the court waiting for a case you are involved in to be called. One of the most frustrating parts of the job is to see a carefully argued social enquiry report tossed aside after a cursory glance. One of the most stressful parts of the job is to stand up to the testing, tetchy and sometimes downright malicious questioning of lawyer, magistrate or judge.