ABSTRACT
The claims made by various occupational groups to be members of the professions are usually grounded on at least one of the following features: self-regulation through codes of practice; entry qualifications (or training) at tertiary academic level; a well-documented body of knowledge and skills; and clearly established career progression. In probation as in other occupations there are clear pressures for greater professional status, but at the same time there are countervailing ‘managerialist’ pressures in some of the countries examined intended to render probation work more consistent with the broader objectives of the criminal justice system within which they are located. This chapter considers the extent to which each probation system is ‘professionalised’ and assesses where probation officers in each system are located in the employment market.
