Published date:
By Pat Best, Nicola Carr, Gail McGreevy and Val Owens
The Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) was established in December 1982 following the implementation of the Probation Board Order (NI). The formation of the Board was set against a tumultuous period of political, social and economic upheaval. The year 1982 saw the continuation of serious violence and conflict, with 97 people killed over a 12-month period. The unemployment rate was 20 per cent and that year saw the closure of a number of factories, including the DeLorean Motor Company in South Belfast. There was also continued political instability as Secretary of State James Prior introduced his ill-fated ‘rolling devolution’ scheme.
Forty (40) years on from the PBNI’s inception, this article considers the history, development and transformation of probation services in Northern Ireland from the perspective of staff who worked in probation in 1982.
Through a structured group interview with six staff and written contributions from other staff who worked in probation from the 1960s through to the 2000s, the article considers the change brought about by the Probation Board Order (NI) 1982 and the establishment of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. It considers a number of key themes, including the development of professional social work training, the introduction of strategic priorities and management by objectives; the move from an organisation that dealt mainly with young people to an organisation working with adults; the impact of the Troubles on the organisation; the development of group work programmes, risk assessment, risk management and the public protection arrangements; and the role of the Board in working alongside local communities.
This article also considers what we might learn from staff experiences during this time as we develop probation services over the next four decades in Northern Ireland (NI).