Drawing on the authors' experience of research and practice in probation, the book provides a positive and realistic view of the contribution the probation service can make to the criminal justice system. It covers court work, face-to-face work with offenders, wider work in the community, and probation organisation and management. It is informed both by research on 'what works' and by a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.

Criminology for Social Work

by David Smith

Published 20 March 1995
Criminology for Social Work critically reviews the major strands in criminological theory and research in terms of their implications for social workers in the criminal justice system. While acknowledging the complexity of the links to be made, it argues that they are able to enhance practice by making it more critical and realistic. Individual chapters discuss criminological psychology, the labelling perspective, the concentration of crime and victimisation in particular localities, the contributions of feminist criminology, and the evidence of racism in criminal justice. They also cover the connections between criminology and policy. The conclusion suggests how criminology could be enriched by feminist philosophy and psychology.