The Probation Board for Northern Ireland is a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department of Justice with responsibility for assessing and supervising offenders in custody and in the community, including the delivery of behavioural change programmes and supervising community service.
Probation’s aim is to rehabilitate, reintegrate and reduce re-offending, by changing lives for safer communities. To do this Probation works:
In Courts, providing pre-sentence reports to assist Judges to make decisions.
In local communities, supervising community-based Orders and post-custody Licences.
In Prisons, preparing prisoners subject to Licences for release.
Directly with registered victims of crime through the Victim Information Scheme.
Below are some key facts and figures about Probation.
Key Facts (as at 31 March 2025)
- Supervised 4,107 service users on a combined total of 5,743 orders, licenses and sentences.
- Over one-third of service users supervised by PBNI were aged 30 to 39.
- 6,397 reports were completed, of which 1,175 were Pre-Sentence Reports (PSR) and 2,877 were Magistrate Court Reports (MCR).
- 89.9 % of Probation's caseload was male.
- 566 victims registered, 71.7% were female.
- New registrations to the Victim information scheme was 17.2% higher than in 2023/24.
- Probation supervises 349 licenses (Life License/Sex Offender Licenses/ GB License)
- 28.7% of service users were identified as high risk under the Assessment, Case Management & Evaluation System (ACE).
- 16.1% of all service users supervised by Probation were categorised under the Public Protection Arrangements for Northern Ireland (PPANI).
- 4.4% of service users supervised by Probation were assessed as Significant Risk of Serious Harm to Others (SROSH).
Download our Key Facts card for 2024.
Read more key facts and figures
For more statistical information check our Statistics page