Who works in the probation service in Romania?

Beginning in the 1990s, an increasing body of research emphasizing the role of practitioners in promoting change and desistance started to develop (see, e.g. Farrall, 2002; McCulloch, 2005; Raynor et al., 2010; Rex, 1999; Trotter and Evans, 2010). Most of these studies suggest that it is not only the quality or the content of interventions that generates change; a great deal depends on the way they are implemented and by whom. In their seminal work, Dowden and Andrews (2004) demonstrated that interventions carried out by practitioners with good correctional skills ² can significantly reduce the reoffending rate. Trotter (1996) demonstrated that prosocial modelling and reinforcement were strongly correlated with lower reoffending and re-imprisonment rates. Furthermore, Rex (1999) noted that desisters seem to appreciate most a probation officer who is experienced, knowledgeable and reasonable, and who displays ‘expert qualities’. In order for offenders to engage positively with the supervision process, the probation officer needs to demonstrate empathy, have the capacity to listen, and to show interest and understanding (for more on this subject see Durnescu, Chapter 12, this volume).