People on probation
A person on probation is:
- someone serving a sentence in the community
- someone released from prison on licence or parole.
On probation? We want to hear from you
We think it is important to give a voice to those who are supervised by the services we inspect.
We know that taking part in our inspections can have a positive impact on the lives of people on probation, from wellbeing, recovery to future ambitions – which for some people has even resulted in finding paid work within a probation service.
We are committed to:
- providing meaningful opportunities for involvement
- consulting with people on probation
- making engagement with people on probation accessible.
What we do
We inspect probation services. Our inspections look at the work of the services to find out if they are doing their work well. We do this by interviewing their staff, checking their records, and speaking to people on probation.
We also take a closer look at certain areas of work, for example racial equality, mental health, or how probation deals with drugs and alcohol. We call this a thematic inspection.
We always publish a report which explains what we have found. When we find examples of good and poor work, we mention that in our report. If poor work has been found, we make recommendations in the report, so the service knows what it must do to improve.
These reports include feedback from people on probation. Hearing personal experiences about these issues help us understand what needs to be done to make improvements.
We use independent organisations like EP:IC (Empowering People: Inspiring Change), KeyRing Living Support Networks, Penal Reform Solutions, Revolving Doors and User Voice to do these interviews for us, so that the interviews can be done by people who themselves have lived experience of the criminal justice system.
We have published their findings alongside our reports on:
- Race equality in probation: the experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic probation service users and staff
- A thematic review of the quality and effectiveness of probation services recovering from the impact of exceptional delivery models introduced owing to the Covid-19 pandemic
- Neurodiversity in the criminal justice system: A review of evidence (Criminal Justice Joint Inspection).
David and Justine are lived experience consultants who have worked with us in interviewing people on probation:
“Being someone with lived experience, I have witnessed the struggles that others have gone through within the criminal justice system. Being given the opportunity to work alongside the Inspectorate team made me feel valued and understood, it was an honour to hear the journeys of those I interviewed. I could share their story to hopefully make improvements for other people who might come into contact with the criminal justice system.” – David
“I feel privileged to have provided a platform for participants to share their experience of mental health within the criminal justice system. It was important to show the highs and lows of mental health, highlighting those areas that need more work, but also those who are doing great work.” – Justine
Mental health has a small voice. It was fantastic, I was finally heard and understood. I hope I have made a difference.
It was great being heard and not judged.
– People on probation who have previously worked with us.
Learn more about our work
Frequently asked questions
User Voice are a charity set up and run by people who have been in prison and on probation. They are independent and led by people on probation. For more information visit the User Voice website.
As part of the inspection, we will send you a text message with a link to an online survey asking your views about being supervised. Your responses will go directly to User Voice. You will also be offered the opportunity to contact User Voice on a freephone number to speak to a member of the User Voice Engagement Team. User Voice Engagement Team members will also be out at probation offices and other sites where we are inspecting and be offering different ways for you to give your feedback. It is important to us that everyone has the opportunity to have their voice heard.
No, all feedback is completely anonymous, and you will never be identified. We want you to be as honest as possible.
No, but your input is incredibly valuable to us, and could help us make recommendations that might lead to improving the services that both you and other people who are on probation use.
No, we never give real names of people on probation in our reports.
Some example questions you may be asked:
- Have you been able to access the services you need to make positive changes to your life?
- Have you been able to access these services in a reasonable time?
- Have you been able to access these services in your local area or are you having to travel a long way?
- Are you able to access services relevant to your personal needs (for example: age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality etc)?
- When needed, have you been able to have conversations in private with your probation officer?
- Do you feel safe accessing probation services?
We are unable to deal with individual complaints from people on probation. If you wish to make a complaint, this website provides helpful information on what you need to do.
Our plans for the future
We are currently reviewing our Participation Strategy, and will be sharing the results at the start of 2025. Our plans will cover how we’ll work to involve people on probation and people with lived experience in further developing our methodology, in our inspections, and in our organisations as employees.
