New book on probation and mental health: in conversation with one of the lived experience co-authors
Earlier this month, we unveiled a book chapter we co-authored in Probation, Mental Health and Criminal Justice: Towards Equivalence, a collection of essays exploring issues in mental health and probation across the globe. This chapter was written by two of our Lived Experience Members and our Research Manager, and centres the role of co-production in enhancing the work of probation. We asked Emma, one of the book’s co-authors and an Involvement Consultant with us, about her experience.
This is the first time we see lived experience being featured alongside academics and practitioners in a criminal justice book. What does it feel like?
It’s a big achievement for me. I think it’s really important to get a lived experience direct insight when you’re talking about services and probation, and all criminal justice books should involve a lived experience voice. There must be a combination of the research and academic side, the practitioners side, but you also need to hear from people who are involved in the criminal justice system and using these services. I’m very pleased I was able to feed lived experience into Probation, Mental Health and Criminal Justice: Towards Equivalence.
How did the writing process go?
It was made smoother by being supported by Phil [Research Manager]. I wrote what I wanted to stay but we also spoke through it, so Phil could capture what I was saying and probably, using my words, draw out the key bits and just break it down.
The book discusses the role of probation in supporting those under supervision towards better mental health outcomes. Why is that important, to you?
[A probation officer] could be the first point of contact for somebody who’s not engaging with other services or not fully understanding what’s going on for them. With the right approach, training, and understanding, you could be able to get that person involved, understand their needs and support them to access services. We talk a lot about managing risks, but also need to understand the root causes behind someone’s offending. And, if it is, mental health, then you need to support that person to stabilise. It’s about how questions are asked sometimes.
You could be dealing with extremely sensitive issues, such as abuse as a child, or domestic violence. People are not necessarily going to want to open up about that, so it really is about how you approach them.
Mental health is a complex disease that you can’t see. (…) It’s important that people working with probation build the relationship needed to talk about what’s going on in their days, whether you’re stable, getting better, or whether you’re getting worse.
Where do you see lived experience involvement fit in this?
People have got a mistrust [in probation] because they have been let down by the system for a long time. It is even more pronounced with probation because they have the power to get you recalled. The inconsistency with the workers can also make it difficult to build trust. You would often get many different probation officers, and people don’t want to talk through the same things over and over again.
Having people with lived experience can really help break down some of these barriers for those under supervision. When I was working as support worker with people with complex needs, I was speaking to probation officers and supporting clients going through supervision. The fact they were able to have these open conversations without fear of repercussion meant more of them were engaging. It was just giving that bit of motivation, encouragement and understanding.
Based on your research and experience, what would be your main recommendations to HM Prison and Probation Services (HMPPS)?
- Communication and approach: it’s about how you engage with people, and pushing yourself to be the best practitioner you can be – whether it’s asking for more training, then do it.
- Working in a trauma-informed way: thinking about how you ask questions, and what you do with that information once disclosed – for example, how do you signpost people, how do you check in with that person to make sure they’re able to engage with the service…
- Balancing risks management and root causes of offending: address why people are offending and what’s going on with that person – why their substance issue is the way it is, what triggers their mental health, how that trauma is being dealt with… If these issues are not dealt with, then it’s going to come back around.
It’s all about relating. He [my peer mentor] knew what he was talking about as he’s physically gone through it [the same issues as me] and was able to provide me with the right information to help me better myself. With a peer I tend to open-up more about the root of my problems, it’s all about the trust that helps you open-up.
– Jason, book co-author
We hope to see many more criminal justice books co-authored by lived experience, academics and practitioners flourish. What would be your top advice, for anyone thinking about taking that step?
Do it! I think sometimes people can be a bit apprehensive about working with someone with lived experience, but they should try get away from that stigma. We are able, capable to participate in different projects, we just need to be given a chance. If you don’t know anyone, then reach out to organisations that do work with lived experience.
The other advice I want to give people is think about people’s different learning styles or ways that they would best be able to express what they want to say – is it through writing, or by talking it through with you, is it them being recorded and transcribed… It’s just looking at things that make it easier to participate.
We thank Emma and Jason, our two lived experience co-authors, for their invaluable insight and work which have made this book chapter possible. You can order Probation, Mental Health and Criminal Justice here. You can read more about our work on Probation here , including our Lived Experience Inquiry into Probation.
