Doing Probation Work: Identity in a Criminal Justice Occupation

Abstract

DOING PROBATION WORK: IDENTITY IN A CRIMINAL JUSTICE OCCUPATION Mawby, R. and Worrall, A. (2013). London, Routledge. 154pp. 85.00 [pounds sterling] hbk, ISBN 978-0415-54028-5 'Someone has to do it'. The final remarks in a long overdue but brilliantly incisive examination of the occupational culture of probation. This misunderstood and much maligned occupation is facing its worst crisis since its inception over 100 years ago. Government are intent on delimiting and denigrating the role of the probation service to the seeming but deceptive rigour of competition and payment by results. If ever there needed to be an exploration of the essence of what probation is about now is that time and this book does this job excellently. It is not a simple story nor one which can be told in a sound bite and this can explain the way in which the media often fails to grasp the essential significance of the work undertaken. Mawby and Worrall make no such mistake painstakingly drawing out the key features from 60 in-depth interviews conducted in 2010/11 with probation workers spanning over 50 years of collective experience. The authors use the heuristic device of 'the square of probation' to shape their thinking about occupational culture. They argue firstly that probation is a socially tainted occupation by dint of its undeserving client group and the negative perceptions of the media and the public. Probation does 'dirty work' and it undertakes it in turbulent times where social, economic and political upheaval threatens its very existence. The book then describes the way the occupational culture is built focusing on concepts of motivation, artefacts, job crafting, coping strategies, nostalgia and diversity. The final element of the square is the way in which probation workers respond to the twists and turns of this organisation. They describe a range of responses which workers can turn to and this includes exit, voice, loyalty, neglect, cynicism, expedience and edgework. Edgework is most interesting as it expresses the notion of pushing the boundaries within which the institution seeks to hold its members accountable. The authors regard edgework as something which has been a constant feature of practice and continues to be practised to respond to the challenges of the working environment. It reminded me of the edgework described many years ago in Bruce Hugman's book 'Act Natural' where he worked as a detached probation officer working from his own home in the community in which he worked. The authors build a convincing typology which describes three distinctive groupings emerging from their sample. These are then labelled 'lifers', 'second careerists' and 'offender managers'. These pen portraits are idealised conceptions but also demonstrate distinctive characterisations of the probation worker. They conclude that taking the key contributions of each ideal type would create a defensible description of the perfect probation worker. This draws on the idealism, vocationalism and intellectualism of the lifer; the life experiences, transferable skills and commitment to 'making a difference' of the second careerists; and the victim empathy, concern for public protection and willingness to challenge offending behaviour of the offender manager. They go on to look at the daily routines of probation noting the differing environments in which this work takes place and they identify the changing nature of probation practice from being focused in the community and autonomously undertaking their work to the much more accountable and desk bound operatives of today. They look closely at the nature of the partnership work of the probation service and identify their changing relationships with the courts, the police and prison. They note the strong partnership that has developed in recent years with the police in contrast to a reduced emphasis on being a 'servant of the court' and a continuing though somewhat ambivalent relationship with prison, despite organisational merger within NOMS. …

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