Programmes and Other Activities
Accredited Programmes are nationally approved courses designed to tackle the root causes of offending. They are included as conditions of a sentence, meaning they have to be completed or the offender will be taken back to court to receive a more serious sentence.
Each Probation area offers a variety of programmes, reflecting the fact that different crimes have different causes. They each use methods designed to reduce the risk of re-offending, based on research into what actually works best to help stop offending. The ideas, theories and research behind accredited programmes together make up the ‘what works’ initiative.
Before being put on a programme, offenders' literacy and numeracy skills are checked to make sure the programmes are pitched at a level that they can understand.
Programmes are now a part of most community sentences. They measure an offender’s motivation and progress, and help decide what further work is needed to aid rehabilitation.
