Working with Offenders: Issues, Contexts and Outcomes, Vol. 1

Working with Offenders examines the current knowledge, skills and values which are needed by those working as probation officers and social workers for effective and competent practice.

As well as looking at areas of practice which are of central importance to the altering roles of practitioners, this original textbook provides a critical appraisal of the policies and requirements which guide those roles. The book examines:

· the issues which inform practice - training, skills and competences, antidiscriminatory practice, autonomy and accountability, masculinity and the causes of crime

· the contexts in which work with offenders take place - probation committees, boards, pre-sentence reports, community penalties, prison, and the community

· the outcomes of good practice - including partnerships against crime, efficiency, effectiveness and an evaluation of crime prevention and broader methods of intervention

Written in an accessible style by experienced academics and professionals, this unique and up-to-date text will prove invaluable in enabling students of social work, probation, social policy and criminology, as well as practitioners, to evaluate knowledge in relation to practice.

Given rapid new changes in the training of social workers and probation officers, Working with Offenders examines the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for those who work with offenders. This practical volume is designed to look at areas of central importance to the evolving roles of practitioners, while at the same time offering a critical appraisal of policies and requirements that guide these roles and tasks. The contributors examine the issues that inform practice, the contexts in which working with offenders takes place, and the outcomes of good practice. Written in an accessible style by experienced academics and professionals, Working with Offenders will enable students and professionals in social work and criminal justice to critically evaluate knowledge in relation to practice.

Booknews

Twelve essays written by probabtion professionals in the United Kingdom discuss social policy as it affects case workers, clients, families, and communities. Specific issues include training, reporting, gender and racial conflict, community partnerships, and crime prevention. The discussions highlight the debate between therapeutic, rehabilitative approaches and "get tough on crime" governmental regimes. Paper edition (7622-4), $22.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)