This paper forms part of a research project that started in 2012 and aimed at reviewing and identifying existing practices within probation that should be highlighted and maintained. The review focuses on the black and minority ethnic (BME) population of probation users. The nexus of our investigation was the London Probation Trust (LPT) and our primary research question was whether race equality can drive quality in the probation service. If the current reforms are all about competition and quality outcomes, then where does race equality sit?