Nathan Monk

The probation system from 1907 to the 1980s did not operate within a framework of centrally imposed targets. By contrast since the 1990s targets have become an essential feature of modernisation and cultural change associated with performance management and accountability. This paper explores the introduction of a target culture into probation and its implications for people orientated organisations. A case can be made to retain a handful of core targets. However it must be acknowledged that in organisations where people work with people, many essential tasks cannot be reduced to measurable targets. Therefore the time has come for a reappraisal.

This paper is based on a small, qualitative study of probation officers’ perceptions of the supervision of offenders sentenced to a conditional sentence. A conditional sentence is imposed in Canada when a judge deems custody to be an appropriate disposition, but feels that the sentence could be safely served in the community. Probation officers perceived the tension between focusing supervision on compliance with the punitive conditions which frequently are part of a conditional sentence, and developing a strategy for intervention based in the What Works principles of risk assessment, identification  of criminogenic need, and responsivity-based interventions.

The paper describes the establishment and first four years of operation of Thames Valley Circles of Support and Accountability (TVCOSA), an organisation which recruits and trains public volunteers into support groups for sex offenders released from prison back into the community. The paper examines the literature around the evaluation of sex offender treatment methods and discusses the problems in demonstrating the effectiveness of interventions in this area of criminal justice. Due to low numbers involved in the intervention at the point of study (14) a qualitative approach is used and the focus of the paper is on analysing incidents of recidivism (e.g. any further instance of offenceconnected behaviour) displayed in the men accommodated by the programme and subsequent actions taken by TVCOSA and other Public Protection Agencies to manage risk. Thus far none of the sex offenders involved has been reconvicted for a sexual offence. An account is given of the rehabilitation undertaken with each sex offender undergoing the programme and some key statistics relating to the group are summarised. The paper concludes with some detailed proposals for further evaluation of the TVCOSA initiative.

In the context of the increasing attention that many fields of research and practice are giving to narrative, this article examines the importance of narrative in reflecting on the past and creating a foundation for the future. It argues that traditional peacebuilding systems are well-placed to elicit narrative and reviews the manner in which they create an environment conducive to story-telling, using examples from Sudan. It then explores the contribution that traditional peacebuilding systems may make – both to contemporary transitional justice systems in Africa and to justice systems in countries such as Britain. In  summary, this article highlights the connection between narrative and traditional peacebuilding systems and demonstrates that by intentionally considering their relationship we reveal numerous principles that could enrich justice systems of all kinds.