Probation visits during lockdown

[RandomGirl]

Not me but not fussed if people think it’s me.

I’ve got a friend who was released from prison in Feb, since lockdown has 2 visits / phone calls from their probation officer. Hasn’t had any form of contact for 5 weeks. Just wondering if anyone else has any experience with the Probation Service during this?

I’m posting this as the internet is not their thing and they’d just like to know someone else’s view.

I have experience of the Probation service during this (not as an offender I hasten to add) - it differs per probation area but many are on home duties which is difficult for working and making calls. If they're on monthly reporting for example then 5 weeks is fine.

The phone does work both ways however so I would suggest he give his probation officer a ring to check in just in case there's been an issue (officer going on sick and case not being reallocated for example)

I work for national probation service and our office is currently shut except for a few certain people who are still having face to face. Everyone else is door step visits and regular phone calls. You dont say whether they're with the national probation service or crc? Either way as PP said he could always contact his officer if he needed to speak about something as majority as still working but just from home.

Hiya, thanks for the replies.
I have said every month that there is no excuse for them not to take things into their own hands and ring them (think martyr).

That’s really good to know about your experience about working within the service. Theyre on monthly visits. But agree about the phoning thing. Winds me right up.
Thanks!

Sorry - what’s the difference between National Probation and CRC?

Depends on sentence and risk as to whether your friend would fall under national probation service or CRC. NPS is the public side with mainly violent/sexual offending or very high risk of reoffending.

If you can find out the specifics we can confirm what your friend should be expecting in terms of contact during lockdown but also agree would be a good idea to ring their officer to clarify

Thank you for replying. I’m sorry, I don’t know the difference - they had an eight year conviction -
Out after 4 years. If you don’t mind, I don’t want to state their crime. It was MAPPA 2 (if that’s how you spell it?)

Ok so your friend would be NPS. As far as I know it's the same across the country for most people, weekly phone calls and a home visit once a month unless you've been told to attend the office. If they are unsure they really should call and speak to their officer about what's expected.

Yes it would be NPS and I'd expect your friend to have weekly or even in some cases twice weekly phone calls/Skype/WhatsApp video call and monthly home visit right now if still MAPPA 2. If no longer MAPPA 2, maybe less frequent tel calls but still monthly home visits.

Given what you have said, should be have twice weekly phone calls and monthly or potentially weekly doorstep home visits.

If your friend is MAPPA 2, got an 8 year sentence and came out in February they should still be on weekly contact. That would be a combination of phone calls and doorstep visits.

Thank you everyone. They’ve not had contact from anyone for 5 weeks. They’ve been home for all of their supposed appointments but no contact has been made by the probation service at all since six weeks ago,

Op just echoing what others have said, i think your friend needs to contact her po. Would dread being in that mappa meeting if no contact has taken place for 5 weeks. Hi to all the po's/pso's!!

They should be having weekly contact as a minimum during the first twelve weeks from release, some of these may be planned telephone contacts, but also doorsteps and face to face. NPS have been a little slower with office based face to face than CRCs in our area which is a surprise given the level of risk. Your friend needs to contact their PO or the local office. If the officer is off sick etc and hasn't updated the number or contact details on the system they may have fallen through the cracks (or just have a really terrible PO)

FWIW one of the standard licence conditions is to keep in touch with the supervising officer... They are risking warnings/recall

Thank you. Incompletely agree that they should be taking matters into their own hands if they’ve had no contact. I’ll reiterate that to them today. It’s frustrating to me that they’re taking the martyr approach when they’re the ones who’ve done wrong! Hey ho... Thank you again for all of your responses.

@RandomGirl

Thank you. Incompletely agree that they should be taking matters into their own hands if they’ve had no contact. I’ll reiterate that to them today. It’s frustrating to me that they’re taking the martyr approach when they’re the ones who’ve done wrong! Hey ho... Thank you again for all of your responses.

‘I completely...’