Social Justice, Human Rights and the Values of Probation

Abstract

This chapter sets out the principles that have guided the author in his career in probation practice, management, training and education. There is some initial discussion of the relationship between crime and criminal justice and a call for political recognition that criminal justice and punishment are just part (and indeed often a relatively small part) of the endeavour to reduce levels of offending, which are principally influenced by social policies. Probation can make a modest though eminently worthwhile contribution to crime reduction. When targets and outcomes come to be the way in which probation is appraised, it can be difficult – and is therefore all the more essential – to try to articulate its values. A moral perspective on probation must take into account not only what probation does, but also what it stands for, and not only its aims and achievements, but also the processes it follows and how its work is perceived by users of the service. The international discourse of human rights is argued to be a promising way in which to discuss the values of probation. The chapter concludes with some speculations about probation’s future.