Published date:
Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Micky Murray, paid a visit to a Probation Community Service placement in the Prison Arts Foundations Braille Unit in the Cathedral Quarter to hear about its community-based justice work today. PBNI currently supervise approximately 1,000 people subject to Orders containing community service across Northern Ireland. The number of Community Service Orders has increased by 10% since 2023.
The Lord Mayor was welcomed by Probation’s Chief Executive Amanda Stewart and spent time talking with service users and Probation staff in the Braille Unit to hear more about the impact Probation is making in the Greater Belfast area.
Probation Area Manager Liz Walker briefed Councillor Micky Murray on the Probation caseload in South and East Belfast and gave an overview of Community Service work which includes placements in charity shops, gardening, painting and cleaning graffiti in the city on the Graffiti Removal Service which is delivered in partnership with Belfast City Council.
The Lord Mayor was presented with a new information booklet ‘The PBNI Community Service Story’, which illustrates the views of staff, service users, the judiciary and victims about community service. Probation and Prison Arts Foundation staff also outlined the work completed by Probation Service Users as part of their Community Service in the Braille Unit, translating the written word into braille for the RNIB.
Chief Executive Amanda Stewart commented: “The purpose of community service is to provide punishment and reparation with people working on projects that benefit local communities. Victims of crime also input their views on the type of work to be undertaken and three out of four people who complete community service court orders do not re-offend within one year.”
After the visit, Councillor Murray said: “Thank you to everyone in Probation and PAF for the warm welcome today. It was great to speak with staff and also to hear from people on probation. As Lord Mayor, I have the privilege of getting to see so much good work that takes place throughout the city. Today’s visit, where I learned more about the Braille unit and the Graffiti Removal Service, which is delivered in partnership with our council, demonstrates that Probation is making a very valuable contribution to making Belfast cleaner and safer.”