Surrey Probation Area

The creation of the National Offender Management Service brings together the National Probation Service with Her Majesty's Prison Service.  This will enable the seamless end to end management of a sentence.  A probation offender manager will manage an offender throughout the duration of their sentence, regardless of whether it is served in custody or the community.  An offender in custody will be supervised on a day to day basis by an officer of the prison service but they will retain contact with their offender manager until they are released at the end of their sentence.  They will then be supervised entirely by the offender manager at the probation service.

Offenders aged 21 or over are sent to adult prison, but custodial sentences for those aged 18 to 21 are served in a Young Offender Institution (YOI).  Young offenders under 18 years old are sent to secure units or youth treatment centres.

Probation staff in prison prepare information and risk assessments on prisoners being considered for early release.  They may also be involved in helping with the delivery of specialist programmes for prisoners to help them address their offending behaviour.

From the end of 2006 all offenders who receive a custodial sentence will be subject to compulsory supervision for a pre-determined period on release. 

Offenders released under the supervision of the probation service must report to a nominated officer on the day of their release.  The officer will explain any licence conditions and arrange to meet with them at appropriate intervals.  The sentence plan that was initiated at the beginning of the custodial sentence will be reviewed and further action planned for the licence period. 

Sometimes a licence may include conditions.  For example, an offender may not be allowed to live in or visit certain areas.  Whilst on licence, if an offender breaches its terms or gives cause for concern, he or she can be recalled to prison.