Abstract

There is a growing acknowledgement of a chronic probation officer shortage in England and Wales, impacting service performance, particularly public protection (HMIP, 2023a; Carr, 2023). The impact of high attrition rates and staff shortages is evident with the recent poor performance of the probation service, especially with issues of public protection, as highlighted in recent Serious Further Offences. The study’s aims were to examine the relationship between why respondents joined the probation service, their experiences of the role as a probation officer and why they voluntarily left the service. This article examines the attitudes and views of 24 ex-probation officers regarding the aforementioned factors. These discussions are analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2021) thematic analysis. The article presents findings on three interrelated themes: role misalignment, emotional labour, and work seeping into personal lives. The paper concludes by considering what the findings mean for probation staffing and recommends a focus on retention, not just recruitment.