It is often assumed that ‘evaluation’ is about judging or assessing a particular piece of practice or intervention, for example after an initial pilot stage to determine whether to continue, or at the end of a programme of work to determine the impact on client behaviour and recidivism. What may be considered …

The probation specialized in addiction problems controls and supports individuals with substance addiction who are sentenced or accused of crimes. The financial position of these individuals is often weak. Many have debts and a low income. Several studies show a positive correlation between a bad financial …

Reliability in decision making about intervention plans is a necessary condition for evidence-based probation work and equal treatment of offenders. Structuring decision making can improve agreement between clinical decision makers. In a former study however, we found that in Dutch probation practice …

Practice-oriented research is scientific research that is conducted with the primary goal to realize practical impact in relevant work fields. It shares with academic research the necessity to design and conduct the research in a methodologically sound way. It differs from typical academic research in …

The task of risk assessment is a central feature of probation work and a core activity of probation officers. Risk assessment forms the basis for subsequent interventions and management of offenders so that the likelihood of reoffending is reduced. A primary difficulty for probation workers is the ability …

Reducing recidivism of individual offenders usually is a multifaceted task. Behavioural interventions, based on the ‘what works principles’ go along with interventions in the domains of education, work, housing and social networks. An integrative approach seems to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation. …

The level of work engagement is an important aspect of organizational culture. In this empirical study the relation between engagement and experienced professionalism of probation officers is investigated. Starting from ideal-typical theories on professionalism, a psychometric instrument for measuring …