ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the history of probation. A very ‘broad brush’ is taken to the task and some of the detail will be included in later chapters. This chapter sets a context, showing that current arrangements and practices, as well as contemporary policy debates, can often only be understood once their history is appreciated. History also reminds us of change – that things were not always as they are now and that dominant ways of thinking about and practising probation will not necessarily continue in future.
