Probation and the Policing of the Private Sphere in Britain, 1907-1962

Book excerpt: "In 1907 the Probation of Offenders Act introduced a system which allowed offenders to be rehabilitated at home under supervision, rather than being sent to prison. This book explores how the probation system was used to regulate the private and emotional lives of offenders in Britain during this period. Access to the private sphere, both physically and psychologically, meant that the probation system was particularly well-suited to offences related to intimate and personal relations. With each chapter focusing on a particular type of offence including wife assault, attempted suicide, male sexual offences and female prostitution, Settle shows how experiences of the offenders were shaped by the everyday practices of probation, and assesses the extent to which it was successful in rehabilitating offenders and protecting the public. Also examining the role of probation officers in marriage reconciliation, it explores how the system regulated private emotional lives and behaviour. Probation and Policing of the Private Sphere in Britain enriches our understanding of the role of the state in policing, monitoring and promoting the well-being of its citizens, and explores the nuances of probation's dual purpose as a form of social control as well as a social work service designed to protect the most vulnerable in society"--