Learning from the Covid-19 Pandemic: Probation’s Role in Providing Health-Related Support

Sirdifield, Coral; Nichols, Helen; Mullen, Philip

Abstract

This chapter examines the issues Covid-19 caused for the probation service. The chapter suggests that health, health inequalities, and the social determinants of health have been in the spotlight like never before throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. People under probation service supervision are known to have a higher prevalence and complexity of many health needs than people in the general population. They face numerous barriers to service access and are subject to many of the negative social determinants of health. Supporting health improvement within this population would not only benefit the individuals under probation supervision but could also produce wider benefits such as a reduction in avoidable use of crisis services like Accident and Emergency, improved compliance, and engagement with the probation service and reduced re-offending. Drawing on recent empirical research, this chapter discusses key themes around the impact of the response to the pandemic on probation practice, and in particular, the role of probation staff in identifying health-related drivers of offending, facilitating access to health support for individuals under supervision, and advising the courts on appropriate sentencing including the use of Community Sentence Treatment Requirements. It focuses on the critical role that probation staff can play in supporting health improvements amongst individuals on their caseload, and what learning from research conducted during the pandemic tells us about what is needed to enable staff to perform this role well, and how this might best be provided.

Citation

Sirdifield, C., Nichols, H., & Mullen, P. (2023). Learning from the Covid-19 Pandemic: Probation’s Role in Providing Health-Related Support. In E. Johnston (Ed.), Covid-19 and Criminal Justice : Impact and Legacy in England and Wales (201-216). Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003281481

• Online Publication Date: Jun 23, 2023
• Publication Date: Jun 23, 2023
• Deposit Date: May 22, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 24, 2024
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 201-216
• Series Title: Routledge Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice and Procedure
• Book Title: Covid-19 and Criminal Justice : Impact and Legacy in England and Wales
• Chapter Number: 12
• ISBN: 9781032250847; 9781032250878
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003281481
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4296234
• Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/Covid-19-and-Criminal-Justice-Impact-and-Legacy-in-England-and-Wales/Johnston/p/book/9781032250847#