Published date:
This report provides an overview of the number of service users and the caseload i.e. the number of individual Orders and Licences supervised by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) on 31 March 2026, as well as providing comparisons with previous years.
The key findings are as follows:
On 31 March 2026, 3,953 service users were supervised by PBNI, a decrease of 3.7% on the equivalent figure for 31 March 2025 (4,107).
The caseload supervised by PBNI decreased by 4.4% between 31 March 2025 (5,743) and 31 March 2026 (5,492).
Determinate Custodial Sentences (DCS) accounted for the largest proportion of caseload (39.2%) supervised by PBNI in March 2026, followed by Probation Orders (26.3%).
Orders and Licences where the principal offence related to violence against the person (VAP) offences accounted for the largest proportion of caseload (31.6%) supervised by PBNI in March 2026.
As in previous years, males accounted for the majority of service users being supervised (90.3%).
In March 2026, over one-third (35.7%) of service users supervised by PBNI were aged 30 to 39.
The PBNI Belfast Directorate were supervising the largest proportion of service users in March 2026 (35.3%), followed by the Rural Directorate (28.4%).
Of the service users being supervised by PBNI on 31 March 2026, 28.5% were identified as high risk under the Assessment, Case management & Evaluation system (ACE).
On 31 March 2026, 706 service users (17.9% of all service users supervised by PBNI) were categorised under the Public Protection Arrangements for Northern Ireland (PPANI).
In March 2026, 5.0% of service users supervised by PBNI (199 service users) were assessed as Significant Risk of Serious Harm to others (SROSH).
During 2025/26, 6,600 reports were completed by PBNI staff (excluding letters); the corresponding figure for 2024/25 was 6,203. It should be noted the 2025/26 figure includes 481 Prison and PPANI Designated Risk Manager (DRM) reports. Data relating to these reports was unavailable prior to April 2025.
The number of new victims registered with PBNI during 2025/26 was 335, a 13.4% reduction on the 2024/25 figure (387).
The total number of victims registered with PBNI increased by 8.1% from 566 on 31 March 2025 to 612 on 31 March 2026.
The PBNI Caseload Statistics, 2025/26 can be viewed via the link below.
