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Probation is a central part of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. It works to address the
causes of offending to help prevent people coming back into the system again and protects the public
from harm caused by re-offending. The services we provide enables individuals to change their behaviour which in turn reduces the likelihood of reoffending, reduces the numbers of victims, and makes communities safer.
We are primarily responsible for the management of people on probation (those serving a community sentence or who have been released from prison subject to licence) and for preparing pre-sentence reports for judges and magistrates in the courts to enable them to choose the most appropriate sentence.
Probation staff also work in prisons preparing people for release into the community and we provide an
information service for victims of crime and restorative interventions where appropriate.