MORI and the Probation Service have conducted the largest ever survey of magistrates' views of the Probation Service.  Nearly 6000 magistrates returned the questionnaire revealing their views about sentencing options, the work of the Service and communication processes. 

Highlights of the survey

- Magistrates rate Probation as having a greater effect on reducing crime than Prison. 
- Eight out of ten agree that community sentences punish offenders. 
- Eight out of ten agree that community sentences enable offenders to pay back to the community. 
- Seven out of ten agree that community sentences help to rehabilitate offenders. 
- Magistrates are not aware yet of the evidence that Probation programmes reduce re-offending. 
- Magistrates seem to want wider public support for their use of community penalties.

A summary of the results was issued in the October issue of The Magistrate magazine (file size kb)

Survey Overview

The results of the survey are largely positive about the work of the Probation Service, although they also highlight some areas where Probation has failed to convince some sentencers that community sentences work.

Throughout the survey magistrates confirm their faith in community sentences as an effective punishment.  When asked to rate the effectiveness of public services at reducing crime, the Police topped the table followed by the Courts and then the Probation Service.  Perhaps surprisingly, given current public opinion, Prisons come only fourth, followed closely by Neighbourhood Watch.  Many magistrates agree that community sentences have benefits over custodial options and that they are more effective against crime arising from drug use.

Research into reconviction rates1 published by the Home Office in November 2002 shows that Probation-led community punishment reduced re-offending by 4.9% while Prison reduced re-offending by 3.3%.  Despite this evidence, only 31% of magistrates in the MORI survey agree that community sentences reduce re-offending and 36% that they help to protect the public. This demonstrates a gap in communication that the Probation Service needs to fill. 

Research carried out by the Prison Reform Trust2 with sentencers earlier this year suggested the need to increase the public and political support for Probation in order to give sentencers further confidence in using alternatives to custody.  In this survey too magistrates appear to call for community sentences to have greater public backing.  When asked to indicate what key actions would make the Service more effective, improved public relations and greater education for the public on the role of Probation were high on their list.  This suggests that magistrates want to know that they are not isolated in championing Probation to the public. 

Full MORI report (file size 516kb)


Footnotes
1. Reconviction rates are measured after two years.  Based on the data for offenders under Probation supervision in the first quarter of 1999 the reconviction rate for Community Punishment Orders fell by 4.9% against the predicted rate.  The re-conviction rate for Prison fell by 3.3%.  Figures from Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, October 2002
2. 'The decision to imprison' report from the Prison Reform Trust was published in June 2003 and is available on their website www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk