Articles


Practitioner Report: From Rhetoric to Reality: The Probation Service Contribution to Empowering Victims

Published 17/06/2009
Type Article
Author(s) Alan Gray, Penny Whitford
Corresponding Authors Alan Gray and Penny Whitford, Victim Contact Team, Leicestershire & Rutland Probation Trust
DOA
DOI

The rhetoric about support for victims of crime is excellent, and the themes of many victim conferences over recent years have sounded both impressive and powerful. Much practice is excellent too, making victims matter and putting the victim centre stage. However the reality of victim support generally still leaves much room for development, and hence the question mark in the title. This paper describes the development of the Victim Contact Team of Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Trust, where the authors have worked with victims since the scheme began. It goes on to consider some of the issues that arise in this work.