and Mark Liddle (and his team) of ARCS, Ltd., who have made important contributions to the data c... more and Mark Liddle (and his team) of ARCS, Ltd., who have made important contributions to the data collection process, especially the interviewing of project beneficiaries and the distillation and coding of information from casefiles. We would also like to thank the many Welsh Government and WEFO officials who helped and encouraged us throughout the course of the research and commented constructively on drafts of interim and final reports. In naming in particular
Judgemental rationality is infrequently referenced within discussions of Realist Evaluations. Jud... more Judgemental rationality is infrequently referenced within discussions of Realist Evaluations. Judgemental rationality refers to researchers’ capacity to assess which, potential, meanings provide the most credible explanations. In evaluation work, rationale for analysis is provided, though rarely do we see how an evaluator made judgements between competing theories, and which theories were discarded and why. We provide a worked example of the application of judgemental rationality. The Engager intervention offered support to prison leavers with common mental health problems. The data for 24, purposively sampled, participants from the intervention arm of the trial were integrated. Bhaskar’s DREIC, a five-step analytical procedure, was used to transfactually theorise and interrogate the inferences made within, and across, cases. The findings demonstrated that the intervention was more effective when practitioners developed an in-depth understanding of the participant. We recommend that...
Background Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and dep... more Background Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. High proportions struggle with homelessness and substance misuse. Aims This study aims to evaluate whether the Engager intervention improves mental health outcomes following release. Method The design is a parallel randomised superiority trial that was conducted in the North West and South West of England (ISRCTN11707331). Men serving a prison sentence of 2 years or less were individually allocated 1:1 to either the intervention (Engager plus usual care) or usual care alone. Engager included psychological and practical support in prison, on release and for 3-5 months in the community. The primary outcome was the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), 6 months after release. Primary analysis compared groups based on intention-to-treat (ITT). Results In total, 280 men were randomised out of the 396 who were potentially eligible and agreed to participate; 105 did not meet the mental health inclusion criteria. There was no mean difference in the ITT complete case analysis between groups (92 in each arm) for change in the CORE-OM score (1.1, 95% CI-1.1 to 3.2, P = 0.325) or secondary analyses. There were no consistent clinically significant between-group differences for secondary outcomes. Full delivery was not achieved, with 77% (108/140) receiving community-based contact. Conclusions Engager is the first trial of a collaborative care intervention adapted for prison leavers. The intervention was not shown to be effective using standard outcome measures. Further testing of different support strategies for prison with mental health problems is needed.
In this chapter I consider the implications of the growing marketisation of criminal justice serv... more In this chapter I consider the implications of the growing marketisation of criminal justice services for voluntary sector organisations, looking in particular at the expansion of competitive commissioning as a means of delivering offender management and rehabilitation. Until recently, the pace of change in this direction has been slower in the penal field than in many other areas of public services, and most voluntary agencies that work with offenders appear so far to have adapted fairly comfortably to new developments. However, it will be argued that the advent of the ‘Transforming Rehabilitation’ (TR) initiative (MoJ, 2013), whereby the majority of work previously undertaken by the probation service was outsourced on a ‘payment by results’ (PbR) basis to 21 ‘community rehabilitation companies’ (CRCs) in February 2015, represents a likely tipping point or step change. While opening up new opportunities for some individual agencies, this will create major risks and challenges for a substantial segment of the voluntary sector.1 Most CRCs are headed by a large private company (or a partnership which includes a large private company) which manages a ‘supply chain’ comprising a combination of other private companies, voluntary agencies, social enterprises, cooperatives and/or mutual funds. In such a structure, whose aims and outcome targets are set by public sector commissioners, and whose modes of operation are controlled (in most cases) by private sector organisations, subcontracted voluntary agencies may find it difficult to maintain their traditional values, working practices and independence. Moreover, those left outside the supply chain may find it harder to obtain funding and access.
The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate RDS is part of the Home Office. The Home Off... more The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate RDS is part of the Home Office. The Home Office's purpose is to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained. RDS is also part of National Statistics (NS). One of the aims of NS is to inform Parliament and the citizen about the state of the nation and provide a window on the work and performance of government, allowing the impact of government policies and actions to be assessed. Therefore-Research Development and Statistics Directorate exists to improve policy making, decision taking and practice in support of the Home Office purpose and aims, to provide the public and Parliament with information necessary for informed debate and to publish information for future use.
This report was commissioned by the Crime and Criminal Justice Unit (CCJU). CCJU is based in the ... more This report was commissioned by the Crime and Criminal Justice Unit (CCJU). CCJU is based in the Research, Development and Statistics (RDS) Directorate of the Home Office. The Unit carries out and commissions research on patterns of crime and the administration of justice, to support Home Office aims and develop evidence-based policy and practice. The Crime Reduction Research Series presents research findings and guidance material relevant to practitioners involved in crime reduction at the local level, and particularly the local crime and disorder partnerships. The series will include work funded under the Government's Crime Reduction Programme as well as other relevant RDS work. Details of how to obtain further copies of this report can be found on the back cover. Copies of this publication can be made available in formats accessible to the visually impaired on request.
We would like to express our gratitude to members of the seven resettlement Pathfinder teams, wit... more We would like to express our gratitude to members of the seven resettlement Pathfinder teams, without whose input this evaluation would not have been possible. They gave very generously of their time in completing case records on offenders who participated in the Pathfinders. We also drew heavily on the experience of the teams in our evaluation of the delivery of the resettlement services and our assessment of their costeffectiveness. Thanks are also due to the offenders who agreed to be interviewed in prison and following their release, and to those who completed postal questionnaires.
In a Home Office funded study of the voluntary after‐care of short‐term prisoners, the authors fo... more In a Home Office funded study of the voluntary after‐care of short‐term prisoners, the authors found that this area of probation service activity had decreased markedly in volume and perceived priority. This article explores the history of voluntary after‐care; the reasons for its decline; the haracteristics and needs of potential users of this kind of service, and the manner in which it is still provided by some probation areas. Many short‐term prisoners are recidivist offenders facing major social and personal difficulties, and it is argued that there are good reasons for making some provision for this group.
This article uses empirical research on the implementation of risk assessment and risk management... more This article uses empirical research on the implementation of risk assessment and risk management procedures by public protection panels in England and Wales, to assess how far the evidence supports claims of a broad shift in modes of crime control from penal modernism towards a new `risk penality' characteristic of the late (or post-) modern period. The result is a mixed and contradictory picture, in which the dominant discourse around measures to deal with sexual and `dangerous' offenders is in tune with this claim, but there are numerous aspects of agency culture and practice - for example, interest in the individual case, and the valuing of professional judgement above actuarial tools - which reflect the continuing strength of the `modernist' project. There are, however, signs of a growing populist challenge to the modernist assumption that risk knowledge and management should be left to small groups of `experts' working in secret. Overall, perhaps the strongest ...
Maguire Mike. Methodes proactives dans le maintien de l'ordre. Reflexions dans une perspectiv... more Maguire Mike. Methodes proactives dans le maintien de l'ordre. Reflexions dans une perspective britannique. In: Deviance et societe. 1997 - Vol. 21 - N°4. pp. 415-422.
This article presents findings from the evaluation of Phase One of the resettlement ‘Pathfinder’,... more This article presents findings from the evaluation of Phase One of the resettlement ‘Pathfinder’, which was funded under the Home Office Crime Reduction Programme. Seven projects (four probation-led and three run by voluntary agencies) targeted the resettlement needs and/or offending behaviour of adults sentenced to prison for under 12 months, who are currently not subject to post-release supervision. All participants received help with welfare needs, and some attended a short cognitive motivational programme. The results suggest that such interventions can significantly reduce the problems faced by this frequently neglected group, as well as having a positive effect on their attitudes to crime. There was also some evidence of reductions in reconviction, especially among those who maintained contact with mentors after release. The findings have implications for the Government's resettlement agenda, as set out in the Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan, as well as for NOMS...
The article considers current developments in the ‘resettlement’ of prisoners in the light of rec... more The article considers current developments in the ‘resettlement’ of prisoners in the light of recent theory and research on factors promoting desistance from crime. While recognizing improvements promised by the Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan and the concept of ‘end-to-end’ offender management, it is argued that these are unlikely to reduce re-offending significantly without greater attention to individual offenders' mental processes and levels of selfmotivation, which are identified by the desistance literature (as well as much of the ‘what works’ literature) as critical factors in personal change. An account is given of a promising approach adopted in the ‘Resettlement Pathfinders’, where a cognitive-motivational programme was combined with practical services, with encouraging early results. However, concerns are expressed that even the most innovative approaches may be undermined by features of the broader context within which correctional services are delivered, ...
The article contrasts the original vision behind the Crime Reduction Programme - an ambitious pla... more The article contrasts the original vision behind the Crime Reduction Programme - an ambitious plan (initially intended to run for 10 years) to accumulate, disseminate and use research-based knowledge about the effectiveness of a wide variety of interventions - with the reality of the multiple problems experienced during its implementation in England and Wales between 1999 and its premature end in 2002. Ultimately, few projects were implemented as planned, with the knock-on effect of a dearth of conclusive research findings. It is argued that the Crime Reduction Programme benefitted initially from an unusual ‘window of opportunity’ when such a programme appeared attractive to politicians, administrators, practitioners and researchers alike, resulting in a level of funding for pilot projects and evaluation which was unprecedented in the UK in the crime reduction field. However, it was undermined significantly by inherent risks and tensions that became increasingly prominent as circums...
and Mark Liddle (and his team) of ARCS, Ltd., who have made important contributions to the data c... more and Mark Liddle (and his team) of ARCS, Ltd., who have made important contributions to the data collection process, especially the interviewing of project beneficiaries and the distillation and coding of information from casefiles. We would also like to thank the many Welsh Government and WEFO officials who helped and encouraged us throughout the course of the research and commented constructively on drafts of interim and final reports. In naming in particular
Judgemental rationality is infrequently referenced within discussions of Realist Evaluations. Jud... more Judgemental rationality is infrequently referenced within discussions of Realist Evaluations. Judgemental rationality refers to researchers’ capacity to assess which, potential, meanings provide the most credible explanations. In evaluation work, rationale for analysis is provided, though rarely do we see how an evaluator made judgements between competing theories, and which theories were discarded and why. We provide a worked example of the application of judgemental rationality. The Engager intervention offered support to prison leavers with common mental health problems. The data for 24, purposively sampled, participants from the intervention arm of the trial were integrated. Bhaskar’s DREIC, a five-step analytical procedure, was used to transfactually theorise and interrogate the inferences made within, and across, cases. The findings demonstrated that the intervention was more effective when practitioners developed an in-depth understanding of the participant. We recommend that...
Background Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and dep... more Background Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. High proportions struggle with homelessness and substance misuse. Aims This study aims to evaluate whether the Engager intervention improves mental health outcomes following release. Method The design is a parallel randomised superiority trial that was conducted in the North West and South West of England (ISRCTN11707331). Men serving a prison sentence of 2 years or less were individually allocated 1:1 to either the intervention (Engager plus usual care) or usual care alone. Engager included psychological and practical support in prison, on release and for 3-5 months in the community. The primary outcome was the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), 6 months after release. Primary analysis compared groups based on intention-to-treat (ITT). Results In total, 280 men were randomised out of the 396 who were potentially eligible and agreed to participate; 105 did not meet the mental health inclusion criteria. There was no mean difference in the ITT complete case analysis between groups (92 in each arm) for change in the CORE-OM score (1.1, 95% CI-1.1 to 3.2, P = 0.325) or secondary analyses. There were no consistent clinically significant between-group differences for secondary outcomes. Full delivery was not achieved, with 77% (108/140) receiving community-based contact. Conclusions Engager is the first trial of a collaborative care intervention adapted for prison leavers. The intervention was not shown to be effective using standard outcome measures. Further testing of different support strategies for prison with mental health problems is needed.
In this chapter I consider the implications of the growing marketisation of criminal justice serv... more In this chapter I consider the implications of the growing marketisation of criminal justice services for voluntary sector organisations, looking in particular at the expansion of competitive commissioning as a means of delivering offender management and rehabilitation. Until recently, the pace of change in this direction has been slower in the penal field than in many other areas of public services, and most voluntary agencies that work with offenders appear so far to have adapted fairly comfortably to new developments. However, it will be argued that the advent of the ‘Transforming Rehabilitation’ (TR) initiative (MoJ, 2013), whereby the majority of work previously undertaken by the probation service was outsourced on a ‘payment by results’ (PbR) basis to 21 ‘community rehabilitation companies’ (CRCs) in February 2015, represents a likely tipping point or step change. While opening up new opportunities for some individual agencies, this will create major risks and challenges for a substantial segment of the voluntary sector.1 Most CRCs are headed by a large private company (or a partnership which includes a large private company) which manages a ‘supply chain’ comprising a combination of other private companies, voluntary agencies, social enterprises, cooperatives and/or mutual funds. In such a structure, whose aims and outcome targets are set by public sector commissioners, and whose modes of operation are controlled (in most cases) by private sector organisations, subcontracted voluntary agencies may find it difficult to maintain their traditional values, working practices and independence. Moreover, those left outside the supply chain may find it harder to obtain funding and access.
The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate RDS is part of the Home Office. The Home Off... more The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate RDS is part of the Home Office. The Home Office's purpose is to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained. RDS is also part of National Statistics (NS). One of the aims of NS is to inform Parliament and the citizen about the state of the nation and provide a window on the work and performance of government, allowing the impact of government policies and actions to be assessed. Therefore-Research Development and Statistics Directorate exists to improve policy making, decision taking and practice in support of the Home Office purpose and aims, to provide the public and Parliament with information necessary for informed debate and to publish information for future use.
This report was commissioned by the Crime and Criminal Justice Unit (CCJU). CCJU is based in the ... more This report was commissioned by the Crime and Criminal Justice Unit (CCJU). CCJU is based in the Research, Development and Statistics (RDS) Directorate of the Home Office. The Unit carries out and commissions research on patterns of crime and the administration of justice, to support Home Office aims and develop evidence-based policy and practice. The Crime Reduction Research Series presents research findings and guidance material relevant to practitioners involved in crime reduction at the local level, and particularly the local crime and disorder partnerships. The series will include work funded under the Government's Crime Reduction Programme as well as other relevant RDS work. Details of how to obtain further copies of this report can be found on the back cover. Copies of this publication can be made available in formats accessible to the visually impaired on request.
We would like to express our gratitude to members of the seven resettlement Pathfinder teams, wit... more We would like to express our gratitude to members of the seven resettlement Pathfinder teams, without whose input this evaluation would not have been possible. They gave very generously of their time in completing case records on offenders who participated in the Pathfinders. We also drew heavily on the experience of the teams in our evaluation of the delivery of the resettlement services and our assessment of their costeffectiveness. Thanks are also due to the offenders who agreed to be interviewed in prison and following their release, and to those who completed postal questionnaires.
In a Home Office funded study of the voluntary after‐care of short‐term prisoners, the authors fo... more In a Home Office funded study of the voluntary after‐care of short‐term prisoners, the authors found that this area of probation service activity had decreased markedly in volume and perceived priority. This article explores the history of voluntary after‐care; the reasons for its decline; the haracteristics and needs of potential users of this kind of service, and the manner in which it is still provided by some probation areas. Many short‐term prisoners are recidivist offenders facing major social and personal difficulties, and it is argued that there are good reasons for making some provision for this group.
This article uses empirical research on the implementation of risk assessment and risk management... more This article uses empirical research on the implementation of risk assessment and risk management procedures by public protection panels in England and Wales, to assess how far the evidence supports claims of a broad shift in modes of crime control from penal modernism towards a new `risk penality' characteristic of the late (or post-) modern period. The result is a mixed and contradictory picture, in which the dominant discourse around measures to deal with sexual and `dangerous' offenders is in tune with this claim, but there are numerous aspects of agency culture and practice - for example, interest in the individual case, and the valuing of professional judgement above actuarial tools - which reflect the continuing strength of the `modernist' project. There are, however, signs of a growing populist challenge to the modernist assumption that risk knowledge and management should be left to small groups of `experts' working in secret. Overall, perhaps the strongest ...
Maguire Mike. Methodes proactives dans le maintien de l'ordre. Reflexions dans une perspectiv... more Maguire Mike. Methodes proactives dans le maintien de l'ordre. Reflexions dans une perspective britannique. In: Deviance et societe. 1997 - Vol. 21 - N°4. pp. 415-422.
This article presents findings from the evaluation of Phase One of the resettlement ‘Pathfinder’,... more This article presents findings from the evaluation of Phase One of the resettlement ‘Pathfinder’, which was funded under the Home Office Crime Reduction Programme. Seven projects (four probation-led and three run by voluntary agencies) targeted the resettlement needs and/or offending behaviour of adults sentenced to prison for under 12 months, who are currently not subject to post-release supervision. All participants received help with welfare needs, and some attended a short cognitive motivational programme. The results suggest that such interventions can significantly reduce the problems faced by this frequently neglected group, as well as having a positive effect on their attitudes to crime. There was also some evidence of reductions in reconviction, especially among those who maintained contact with mentors after release. The findings have implications for the Government's resettlement agenda, as set out in the Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan, as well as for NOMS...
The article considers current developments in the ‘resettlement’ of prisoners in the light of rec... more The article considers current developments in the ‘resettlement’ of prisoners in the light of recent theory and research on factors promoting desistance from crime. While recognizing improvements promised by the Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan and the concept of ‘end-to-end’ offender management, it is argued that these are unlikely to reduce re-offending significantly without greater attention to individual offenders' mental processes and levels of selfmotivation, which are identified by the desistance literature (as well as much of the ‘what works’ literature) as critical factors in personal change. An account is given of a promising approach adopted in the ‘Resettlement Pathfinders’, where a cognitive-motivational programme was combined with practical services, with encouraging early results. However, concerns are expressed that even the most innovative approaches may be undermined by features of the broader context within which correctional services are delivered, ...
The article contrasts the original vision behind the Crime Reduction Programme - an ambitious pla... more The article contrasts the original vision behind the Crime Reduction Programme - an ambitious plan (initially intended to run for 10 years) to accumulate, disseminate and use research-based knowledge about the effectiveness of a wide variety of interventions - with the reality of the multiple problems experienced during its implementation in England and Wales between 1999 and its premature end in 2002. Ultimately, few projects were implemented as planned, with the knock-on effect of a dearth of conclusive research findings. It is argued that the Crime Reduction Programme benefitted initially from an unusual ‘window of opportunity’ when such a programme appeared attractive to politicians, administrators, practitioners and researchers alike, resulting in a level of funding for pilot projects and evaluation which was unprecedented in the UK in the crime reduction field. However, it was undermined significantly by inherent risks and tensions that became increasingly prominent as circums...
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