Claire Houston, Probation Officer, has been supervising a Service User sentenced to a Custodial Sentence of 3 years 6 months and a further 3 years 6 months on Licence. He had weekly supervision due to his chaotic lifestyle with issues centred mainly around drug/alcohol misuse and poor mental health which were triggers for his offending. … Continue reading “Life worth living after Probation” – A Service Users Perspective
By Siobhan McElnea, Probation Officer based in the Victim Information Scheme unit. When a crime has been committed there is an opportunity for learning. In the context of the criminal justice systems, restorative justice views crime as more than breaking the law, with a need for punishment. Restorative practice is involved with repairing the harm … Continue reading Restorative Justice achievement for Probation staff
Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced the appointment of Neil Bodger as the new Deputy Chair of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. The Minister said: “I wish to thank Neil for taking on this role in support of the Chair and his colleagues in the Probation Board.” Mr Bodger will serve as Deputy Chair … Continue reading Justice Minister Appoints Deputy Chair of the Probation Board
This week is Alcohol Awareness NI Week 2021. It gives us all an opportunity to take a closer look at our drinking habits. Assistant Director for Programmes and Interventions, Jill Grant states: “We have found that one of the biggest influences on whether someone will reoffend is their misuse of drugs & alcohol. Tackling this … Continue reading Alcohol Awareness NI Week
I started as Area Manager with Aspire Young Men’s Project on 11th January 2021 and have been on a steep learning curve ever since! I initially joined PBNI on 3rd December 2012, working as a freshly newly qualified social worker having had a bit of a mid-life crisis and deciding to move careers from being … Continue reading Meet Sharon Harrison, Area Manager for Aspire
PBNI has been continuing to deliver services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most important elements of our work is supervising community service orders. People subject to these orders have an opportunity to give back to their local communities by carrying out unpaid work. Niall McEvoy, Assistant Director for Rural, said: “Throughout the last … Continue reading Social Distancing Device Helps Us Deliver Community Service
Joanne McMullan is a Community Service Probation Service Officer with the North Antrim team based in the PBNI Ballymena office covering Ballymena, Antrim and Larne. I have been a Community Service Probation Service Officer for the past three years, and before that I worked in Programmes for almost thirteen years. I decided on a career … Continue reading A Day in the Life – Of a Probation Services Officer
PBNI set up the Aspire Young men’s Project in September 2017 in response to recommendations in The Fresh Start Agreement of November 2015. The aim of the project was to develop a collaborative initiative between Government departments and Restorative Justice Partners focusing on young men at risk of becoming involved or further involved in criminal … Continue reading Aspire Working in Partnership
The Probation Board for Northern Ireland has published its “Guide to Group Work Programmes & Individual Interventions” which sets out the range of programmes and interventions Probation use to facilitate personal change to reduce reoffending. The guide sets out group work programmes and individual interventions that are designed to address the service user’s attitudes and … Continue reading Probation Board Publishes Guide to Programmes and Interventions
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has partnered with the Probation Board for NI and RSPB NI to provide its residents with the opportunity to collect a free bird box to paint and put up in their garden. Residents are encouraged to collect a bird box when visiting one of our local parks as part of … Continue reading Enhance your garden’s biodiversity with a free bird box
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