ABSTRACT
Practitioners saw personal change as the purpose of probation, likely to be achieved via cognitive-behaviourism and assistance under the 'pathways' approach to criminogenic need. National Offender Management Service (NOMS) itself had been subject to further change, being greatly contracted in early 2008, in a move which was seen by some as resulting in a prison service 'take over' of probation. The development of NOMS is based on an approach that might be seen to be contradictory, namely the promotion of the manager/supervisor split alongside the claim that the OMM needs to promote the professional relationship. NOMS has produced good practice guidelines on 'offender engagement', regarding this as likely to produce better outcomes and thus of use in the future given the strictures of commissioning and contestability. The effect of a continued punitive edge to policy and practice has been discussed in relation to the recall of sex offenders to custody.
