Archive Website of the UK government

How probation works

While on probation, you have to follow a set of rules as part of your court sentence. For example, a court may order you to have regular meetings with an ‘offender manager’.

Offender managers supervise (manage) people on probation. They do this by helping the people they supervise to:

• identify problems in their life and get over them
• keep to the rules set as part of their sentence
• stay out of trouble

This could mean helping them to:

• complete an education or training course
• get treatment for any addictions - like drugs or alcohol
• get help with any problems with behaviour

Other rules can include things like having to complete a course to improve skills.

See ‘Offender managers - how they can support you’ for more information about how they work with you.

• Offender managers - how they can support you

The Probation Service

The Probation Service is responsible for supervising people on probation and is made up of 35 local probation trusts in England and Wales.

Reasons you can be put on probation

You can be put on probation for one of three reasons:

As part of a community sentence

You may be given a court sentence to serve in the community, rather than going to prison. See ‘Community sentences - an overview’ to find out more about what this means.

• Community sentences - an overview

If you are released from prison 'on licence'

If your prison sentence is more than one year, you are only released from prison ‘on licence’.

If you are released from prison on parole

If you are released from prison on parole (you’re released early) you are on probation.

What happens if you break the rules of your probation

If you break the rules of your probation - for example, by not going to meetings or by committing another crime - you will either:

• receive a warning
• be taken back to court

Your offender manager lets the court know if you aren’t sticking to the rules of your probation.

To find out more about what can happen if you break the rules of your probation, follow the link below.

• What happens if you break the terms of your probation

What the Probation Service does with the information it holds

The Probation Service can share the personal information it holds about you with some other organisations and some victims of crime. This can include:

• the Parole Board (if you left prison on probation)
• other probation trusts - for example, if you move to a new area
• the victim of a serious offence, if the victim asks the Probation Service to keep them informed

Information can also be given to other organisations - like health and social services.

If you’re convicted of a violent or sexual crime

If you’re convicted of a violent or sexual crime and are released, you may be placed under Multi-Agency Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).

These bring together police, probation and prison services to supervise (manage) people when in the community.

If you’re released under MAPPA, information about you may be shared across different organisations like:

• children’s services
• adult social care services
• local education services
• health trusts and authorities
• Jobcentre Plus

• When a prisoner may be eligible for release

More useful links

• Data protection and identity theft