Voluntary After-Care

Abstract

The extent of voluntary after-care has declined markedly in recent years.Not only are fewer prisoners registered as voluntary after-care cases, but only a small minority of these are now likely to have face-to-face contact with the Probation Service, either before or after release.Probation services varied in their attitude to voluntary after-care -one-third actively encouraged prisoners to request it but around 40% either discouraged it entirely, or only took on cases in exceptional circumstances.Some areas had contracted out management of low risk voluntary after-care cases to partnership agencies from the voluntary sector.Despite a general decline in voluntary after-care provision, some probation services were targeting particular categories of offender who were a higher risk to the public.Prisoners registered for voluntary after-care usually had substantial criminal records and were very likely to have difficulty finding suitable accommodation.Probation services in England and Wales have traditionally carried out voluntary after-care work in addition to their statutory tasks, but many now treat it as a low priority.These findings consider the extent of this service, the kinds of prisoners taking it up, the levels of unmet need and demand for such a service, the variations in local probation policy and practice and the views of probation managers and staff on the priority given to voluntary after-care.