The impact of skills in probation work: A reconviction study

This article reports on the results of a quasi-experimental study of practitioners’ skills in
probation work. Videotaped interviews were produced by a group of probation officers and
analysed by researchers using a checklist designed to identify the range of skills used in one-toone supervision. Reconviction rates were found to be significantly lower among those whose
supervisors were assessed as using a wider range of skills. The article also reviews the recent
history of research on practitioners’ skills in probation, and considers the implications of positive
findings from this and other studies.