NI inspectorate’s concerns over risk management of offenders in the community

The risks presented by offenders under supervision in the community should be better managed by the Probation Board Northern Ireland (PBNI), a new report states.
By Mark Rainey
Published 10th Dec 2020, 06:00 GMT
Probation Board NI chief executive Cheryl Lamont says her staff are already working to address concerns around offender management. Picture: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.Probation Board NI chief executive Cheryl Lamont says her staff are already working to address concerns around offender management. Picture: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.
Probation Board NI chief executive Cheryl Lamont says her staff are already working to address concerns around offender management. Picture: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

An independent inspection also found that, at times, “issues relating to the likelihood of reoffending or risk of harm to other people, were not sufficiently documented or followed-up” when they should have been.

The Criminal Justice Inspection (CJI) NI report says that while the issues identified by inspectors were not so serious they required urgent action by the PBNI senior managers, they “should have resulted in more professional curiosity and follow-up or evidence of further enquiry”.

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CJI(NI) chief inspector Jacqui Durkin, said: “Inspectors found the quality of case supervision was mixed and while probation officers were committed and motivated to support people to reduce their reoffending, insufficient attention was paid to ensuring good quality case management that considered both the risk and the needs of men and women under probation supervision, consistently happened in practice.”

The inspection, which was carried out with support from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation in England and Wales, included a detailed case file review of 84 probation cases, as well as interviews with probation officers’ supervisors to assess everyday practice.

Ms Durkin said that the probation board has been impacted in recent years by budget reductions, a reliance on temporary staff and inefficient IT systems – which has affected staff morale.

She also acknowledged the PBNI had undertaken additional work in support of the design of Enhanced Combination Orders, problem-solving justice initiatives and projects designed to support and prevent young men at risk of becoming involved or further involved, in paramilitary and other criminal behaviour.

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“This work has been carried out a time of austerity, financial uncertainty and challenge when even the safety of some PBNI staff had been at risk. These positive developments are very welcome, but the successful leadership, management and delivery of pilot projects should not be at the expense of consistently maintaining quality core services,” Ms Durkin added.

In response to the report, PBNI has said it remains “committed to changing lives for safer communities”.

Chief executive Cheryl Lamont said: “I welcome the fact that inspectors found that despite years of austerity PBNI has taken on ‘additional work in support of Ministerial priorities’ to deliver transformational change. The report also found staff were committed and motivated to support people in reducing their reoffending.

“We will take forward the recommendations... and thank the chief inspector and her team for their work which will benefit PBNI delivering on our aim of changing lives for safer communities.”

Ms Lamont added: “We have developed an action plan and already commenced work to address a number of the issues raised.”