ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses probation's work with victims of crime. It considers the criminal justice system's historical neglect of victims, then the evolution of probation's practice with victims. The sharp political distinction between offenders and victims will be questioned – offenders are often a highly victimised group, although punitive political rhetoric fails to acknowledge this or to take it seriously. Victims of crime, incidentally, have not been found to be more than averagely punitive in their attitudes – either towards 'their' offender(s) or towards offenders in general. The authors of pre-sentence reports are expected to demonstrate 'victim awareness', by considering the impact of offences upon victims, although in many cases they have little direct information on which to base an assessment. The worth of restorative justice is in the extent to which it achieves the resolution that victims and offenders need, and this cannot be captured by reconviction measures alone.
