Alongside Community Service Orders (CSOs), probation remains one of the most commonly used community sentences. The main purpose of probation is to work with offenders to prevent or reduce their reoffending. This is done by combining oversight and control with help to learn new behaviours and to deal with problems associated with offending.
Offenders can be placed on probation for a period of between 6 months and 3 years. The Order will have an Action Plan in which the offender agrees to address their offending behaviour and its underlying causes.
Probation Orders can be used very flexibly by the courts and additional conditions can be attached regarding:
- the offender undertaking unpaid work;
- the offender's place of residence;
- curfew;
- financial recompense to the victim;or
- attendance at a specialist programme such as alcohol or drug treatment.
Facts and Figures
Some facts and figures on Probation Orders
A total of 8,465 Probation Orders were made in 2004-05. This represents an increase of 9 per cent from the 2003-04 total of 7,742 Orders.
The incidence was 23.5 per 10,000 population in 2004-05. This rate was highest in Glasgow City (42.1), Clackmannanshire (37.5) and Dundee City (35.9), and lowest in Moray (6.2), East Renfrewshire (9.6) and East Lothian (11.5).
The incidence of was highest amongst 18 to 20 year olds (76.6 per 10,000 population) and was also relatively common amongst 16 to 17 year olds (56.4) and 21 to 25 year olds (55.9).
Male offenders accounted for 82 per cent of Probation Orders. Males receiving Probation tended to be younger than females, with 28 per cent of orders for males and 20 per cent of those for females being given to offenders aged under 21 years.