National Probation Service for England and Wales
Welcome to the Nation Probation Service for England and Wales, North Yorkshire Area  
     

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INTRODUCTION

The National Probation Service occupies a central role in the criminal justice system. North Yorkshire is one of 42 probation areas in England and Wales that make up the National Probation Service. It is our job to prevent further crimes by effectively managing offenders who have been given a community sentence by the courts.

North Yorkshire is England's largest county, covering an area of over 3000 square miles. The total population is almost 813,000 with the principal urban areas being in York, Scarborough and Harrogate. We have nearly 300 staff based in 6 locations and we spent around £10 million last year to enable us to carry out our work.

The aims of the service nationally are:

Protection of the public

Protecting the public is the key aim to which all our efforts are directed. We take a lead role in judging how much of a risk an offender is to society – in terms of committing further offences and causing harm to other people. Our experienced and well-trained staff advise the courts on appropriate community sentences, supervise offenders on community sentences and also supervise offenders upon release from prison.

Reduction of re-offending

Reducing the number of crimes committed is part and parcel of protecting the public. As part of their community sentence some offenders are required to attend specific programmes to address the cause of their offending behaviour.

The proper punishment of offenders

It is important to dispel the myth that community sentences are a soft option. They are a punishment, like all sentences handed down by our courts. Community sentences make big demands on offenders. If they don’t meet the demands they are returned to the courts for re-sentencing. The sentences also contain constructive elements aimed at rehabilitating the offender, because that is the best way to reduce future crime. The probation service’s task is to match the offender to the right punishment, the sentence most likely to achieve the best results for society as a whole.

Ensuring offenders awareness of the effects of crime on victims of crime and the public

A key part of rehabilitating offenders is for them to confront the effects of their offending. Probation staff also work with the victims of violent or sexual crime where the offender has been sentenced to a year or more in prison. They keep the victim informed about the progress of the sentence and may consult the victim about conditions of release.

The rehabilitation of offenders

In addition to ensuring the ‘proper punishment of offenders’ we aim to rehabilitate offenders – giving them the opportunity to become positive members of our communities. A whole host of factors can be behind people’s crimes. These can include drugs and alcohol dependency, lack of basic skills such as numeracy and literacy, unstable backgrounds, the inability to deal with the life situations and decisions most of us take for granted.

Our supervision and various programmes are designed to tackle the underlying causes of their offending. We also make use of the expertise of other organisations, both voluntary and statutory. This includes training and education, welfare rights and debt counselling and drug and alcohol services. It is unrealistic to think that all offenders will respond positively. But many do stop offending. Some secure jobs and some go on to college. It’s difficult and painstaking work but it’s helping to bring down crime.




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Magistrates PLC events 2008

Dates and venues announced


This year's PLC training events for magistrates are now announced. Events will be in November 2008 and as in previous years will include a number of workshops to choose from.

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Board meeting announced - Open to the public

21st July 2008


Notice is given that a meeting of the North Yorkshire Probation Board will take place at 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 21 July 2008 in Meeting Room 2, County Hall, Northallerton. The meeting is open to the public to attend.

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Rehabilitation versus Punishment – Judge for yourself!

Public log-on to judge what makes an effective sentence


An innovative on-line programme in which members of the public can decide what they think is the most suitable sentence for virtual offenders was launched by Justice Minister David Hanson MP today, as a new poll shows the public think reforming offenders to cut re-offending is equally as important as punishment. The survey, which analyses the public’s understanding of community sentencing and their views around crime and punishment, showed that 90% of people in North Yorkshire thought rehabilitation was as important, or more important, than punishment when sentencing offenders.

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Community Sentences have a real impact on reducing crime

‘Community sentencing - Reducing re-offending, changing lives’ report published


“Tough community sentences have a real impact on reducing crime and preventing offenders from re-offending", Government Minister David Hanson said today. He was launching a new report which reveals that community sentences are succeeding in reducing offending - and they make a greater impact than sending someone to prison at a cost of £37,000 a year. ‘Community sentencing - Reducing re-offending, changing lives’ points to the effectiveness of community orders which restrict offenders' liberty and may include supervision, unpaid work, curfews and compulsory attendance on probation programmes.

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Grateful parishioners give thanks to hard working offenders


Grateful parishioners laid on a special Sunday lunch this week (May 18) to show their appreciation to offenders for a job well done. Over the past year the surroundings of St Lawrence’s Church, Carlton Miniott, near Thirsk, have been transformed from their former neglected state to one of the best-maintained church yards in the area. The work of cutting back thick vegetation and weeds, repairing crumbling walls, re-setting gravestones and restoring paths has been carried out by offenders carrying out unpaid work under supervision by the Probation Service in North Yorkshire. The project was nominated as a the Community Payback project, a scheme by the National Probation Service, which lets the people of North Yorkshire choose the type of unpaid work done by offenders serving a community order.

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Consultation on Best Value System in Probation


Today, David Hanson MP, Minister of State for Justice, launched a public consultation on a Best Value regime within probation.

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Butler Trust Award Winner 2008: Public Protection

Making Safe Team receives prestigious award from HRH the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace


HRH The Princess Royal presented representatives of the Making Safe team, Paul Weatherstone, Practice Manager (Interventions Risk Programmes) and Sandra Rees, Local Domestic Abuse Co-ordinator for Scarborough Council, with The Butler Trust Public Protection Award at Buckingham Palace on Monday, 3 March. The award is in recognition of the team’s work in supporting families involved with domestic violence.

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Ministry of Justice reorganisation


The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, has announced a new structure for the Ministry of Justice which will help to deliver further improvements in our core aims: reducing re-offending and creating more efficient, effective offender management services in custody and the community, improving access to justice and the effective administration of the justice system, building an effective relationship with the judiciary and delivering constitutional reform and working for a just and democratic society.

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Offenders become York College Students

Turning offenders away from crime


Gaining training and employment has been repeatedly demonstrated to be a powerful factor in turning offenders away from crime. An innovative programme for offenders on Unpaid Work Requirements sees these offenders enrol as York College students gaining Open College Network (OCN) qualifications.

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Community Payback

Nominate a project


Is there an eyesore in your local community which you would like to see cleaned up? Is there a church hall or community centre in need of redecorating? Is there a luncheon club in need of volunteers? Community Payback could be the answer.

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  News Archive

NYPA celebrates centenary Christmas by donating toys to York based charity

A 'tree-mendous' achievement!

NYPA welcomes nine new trainee probation officers

Annual Report 2006-07 published

‘Keeping communities safe in North Yorkshire’

Scarborough Probation Office officially opened

National Probation Service Centenary Celebrations

Draft Gender Equality Scheme published

North Yorkshire Probation Board publishes Disability Equality Scheme

Keeping Communities Safe

Cracking down on prolific offenders

Disability Equality Scheme

Offenders 'Clean Up' in York!

Offenders 'Clean Up' in Scarborough!

Community Payback

Chief Officer Delighted As Inspection Commends Probation In North Yorkshire

Cutting Crime - Changing Lives

Freedom of Information Act

Publication Scheme

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