Constructive Work with Offenders

Constructive Work with Offenders offers a challenge to many of the assumptions of criminal justice policy and the dominant approaches to practice.

The contributors advocate an emphasis on constructive work with offenders that harnesses their positive strengths and resources, and offers inclusive approaches to effective offender assessment and intervention. Taking a fresh look at much received knowledge, they proclaim that constructive work with offenders is both possible and increasingly warranted, and encourage practitioners to develop new skills and adapt existing expertise to the rapidly changing requirements of the criminal justice system.

This book will be of interest to practitioners, trainers, managers, and researchers in the criminal justice system, as well as academics and students in the field of criminology and related disciplines.

Kevin Gorman is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Huddersfield, where he contributes to degree courses in Applied Criminology, Social Work, and Police Studies. He was a probation officer for over 25 years and has been heavily involved in practice development and practice teaching, including the training of probation officers. Marilyn Gregory teaches in crime, abuse and public protection at the University of Sheffield, having spent 16 years in the Probation Service. She worked as a main grade officer in a former mining community; as a prison based officer; a court welfare officer, and as a specialist practice teacher, teaching students initially on the Diploma in Social Work and latterly the Diploma in Probation Studies. Michelle Hayles is a Senior Lecturer in Community Justice at the University of Huddersfield where she has leadership responsibilities for the BSc (Hons) in Applied Criminology and for an innovative Foundation Degree in Police Studies. She worked for 12 years as a probation officer in a range of community contexts and in a women's prison, and she managed a Home Office Student Training Unit. Nigel Parton is Professor in Child Care and Director of the Centre of Applied Childhood Studies at the University of Huddersfield. He has a particular interest in the area of child protection. He was co-editor of the journal Children and Society for ten years and co-edited Constructing Clienthood in Social Work and Human Services (2003), also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.