Active learning ideas
This topic explores the agencies that manage offenders in the community: the National Probation Service and various charities/NGOs. Students examine how probation officers monitor high-risk offenders and support their reintegration into society. This aligns with WJEC AC 3.2 and 3.4, focusing on the 'contribution' and 'effectiveness' of these agencies.
Activity 01
Groups are given an offender profile (e.g., no home, £46 discharge grant). They must map out which agencies (Probation, charities, DWP) need to be involved in the first three days to prevent an immediate return to crime.
How does the probation service monitor offenders in the community?
Activity 02
Set up posters for different charities (e.g., Prince's Trust, Shelter, Howard League). Students move around to identify how each charity fills a gap left by the state in the criminal justice system.
What role do charities play in the criminal justice system?
Activity 03
Pairs discuss whether a probation officer's primary job is to 'catch' the offender breaking rules or to 'help' them change. They must find one example of how these two roles might conflict.
How can society better support the reintegration of ex-offenders?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Probation is only for people who didn't go to prison.
Probation also manages people released from prison 'on licence.' A collaborative mapping exercise of the 'post-release journey' helps students see that probation is a bridge between prison and the community.
Charities only provide 'extra' help that isn't really necessary.
In many cases, charities are the primary providers of housing and mental health support for ex-offenders. Without them, the state system would likely collapse. A gallery walk of charity impacts helps students appreciate their essential role.
Methods used in this brief
The Police and Law Enforcement
An assessment of the police force's role in maintaining social control and preventing crime. Students will examine community policing and the challenges of modern law enforcement.
8 methodologies
The Prison Service
A critical review of the prison system in England and Wales, focusing on overcrowding, rehabilitation programmes, and the realities of custodial sentences.
8 methodologies