The Probation Board has staff who work in all three prison establishments in Northern Ireland – Maghaberry, Magilligan, and Hydebank Wood College and Women's Prison . Within Probation the Assistant Director for Prisons is responsible for liaising with and supervising Probation Area Managers who are based in the three prisons and ensuring Probation's aims are achieved. The Assistant Director has regular meetings with senior management within the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
Probation works closely with the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) through a Service Level Agreement (SLA). Probation and Prisons use the SLA as the basis for the provision of PBNI services within the establishments.
Probation and Prisons are committed to work collaboratively in the provision of services for people in the justice system, specifically people who are serving all or part of their court sentence in custody. This means working in partnership to address offending behaviours, managing the risks and needs of individual prisoners, identifying their strengths and assisting people as they reintegrate into the community on their release from custody.
Probation and Prisons are seeking better outcomes through their joint working arrangements – reduced reoffending, resulting in fewer victims of crime and ultimately a safer Northern Ireland.
A mandatory function of the Probation Board is to provide Probation Officers to perform social welfare duties in prisons and young offenders centres.