The Mission Transformed: Professionalisation of Probation Between the Wars

Abstract

Abstract: This paper explores the early stages of the transition of the English probation system from a service devoted to the mission of saving souls through divine grace to one dedicated to the scientific diagnosis of offenders. A crucial element in that transition was the rise of notions of professionalism between the wars, and the article traces that rise with especial reference to the social enquiry report as a key exemplar of probation practice.