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61 Prob. J. 3 (2014)

handle is hein.journals/probj61 and id is 1 raw text is: Editorial The -l fI oCo ,y aid c hs Probation Journal The Probation 24o Reprints and permissions: Institute: M ore than sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0264550514522578 an afterthought? prb sagepub cor OSAGE The establishment of the Probation Institute has been an interesting by-product of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda. The Institute is a joint venture between the Pro- bation Chiefs Association (PCA), the Probation Association (PA), Napo and Unison, working with the Ministry of Justice to 'provide a framework for unifying the pro- bation workforce as a whole by providing professional leadership' (The Probation Institute, 2013: 3). According to its prospectus, the Institute would be: ... an independent, not-for-profit Company Limited by Guarantee, aiming to become a recognised centre of excellence on probation practice, applying rigorous standards to the assessment of research and other evidence and its implications for the delivery of services that protect the public and rehabilitate offenders. (p. 3) It could be argued that those representing probation's interests have at times failed to speak with one voice and in this respect the Institute is a welcome devel- opment although it will undoubtedly face significant challenges if it is to achieve its ambitions. Not least amongst these is the fact that the Institute is being established within a political environment that seeks to increase competition and achieve sig- nificant cost savings. Frances Crook has observed that: 'Perhaps the real regret is that it has taken the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms to see this Institute being set up, with the unavoidable sense that it is an afterthought to the primary goal of pri- vatising the probation service' (Crook, 2013). As membership of the Institute is voluntary it will rely on the cooperation of those involved and that they will 'do the right thing'. However market conditions, and the pursuit of profit, might militate against this and undermine reciprocity and trust. Membership will be open to individuals, small charitable organizations and large corporations involved in the delivery of rehabilitative services. It is envisaged that one of its initial tasks will be to articulate 'the values of the Institute and the code of conduct expected' (p. 12). This will be no easy task given the myriad of providers it is envisaged will be involved in delivering the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda at both the prime and sub-prime level. Amongst those organizations who have cleared the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) stage are a mix of large private companies (15), probation mutuals (11), voluntary organizations (10), County and

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