Previous Article
News
Probation in North Belfast : a complex political and social landscape
Emer Loughran and Colum Duffy are Area Managers from Probation Board For Northern Ireland (PBNI) who jointly manage the Probation Team in North Belfast. They jointly manage 24 staff who operate out of Duncairn Gardens which is an interface area and flashpoint for sectarian tensions.
North Belfast is an area with a complex political and social landscape. Some of the difficulties experienced by the local community include a high number of suicide deaths, low educational outcomes, poor health and high deprivation levels. A third of children live in poverty. The area has also suffered as a result of the legacy of the ‘Troubles’. A very significant number of deaths occurred in the area over the 30 year period of conflict.
The teamwork was hard with a significant caseload in the area. At present, within the team, we are supervising 436 community Orders and Licence supervision. We are also supervising 74 Community Service Orders involved in completing work in the local community.
Unsurprisingly many of the service users PBNI work with have poor mental health and addictions issues. Emer explains: “The North Belfast Team is a busy team working in the centre of a very complex urban area. Many of the people we work with have very deep-rooted mental health and addiction issues. A large proportion of people on the caseload have been misusing prescription drugs, and we have seen an increase in the numbers using drugs like heroin. This means we need to invest a lot of time and effort into trying to change very ingrained behaviours”.
Colum continues: “There is a very energetic community and voluntary sector in the area and we work closely with community partners to enhance service user’s employability and training. We also work with sporting organisations that can help individual’s build their confidence and self-esteem. We have strong working relationships with accommodation providers in the area and our staff link in with local mental health organisations including Old See House which is a Community Mental Health Resource Centre and Lighthouse which provide assessment and care for those who are mentally ill and the.”
Emer states: “We also have a very close partnership with the local police and work together through the ‘Reducing Offending in Partnership’ arrangements to tackle prolific offenders. This initiative has made a real difference in reducing crime and improving community safety.”
“We also have a very successful community service team who work with service users to enable them to pay back to local communities. Work squads carry out work in local churches and community hubs. The local communities really benefit from service users carry out unpaid work for the benefit of local people.”
Colum concludes: “While north Belfast has significant challenges the work carried out by the local probation team is making a real difference in changing lives for safer communities.”
Related News
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.
New
CEP
Delegation from Azerbaijan visits CEP Office in Utrecht
24/06/2026
On 23 June, a delegation from Azerbaijan visited the CEP office in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The delegation included representatives of the Probation Service, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Netherlands. The visit to the CEP office was part of a broader learning programme with Reclassering Nederland.
New
CEP, Directors General Meetings
CEP Call for Applications – Training Opportunity for Directors General
24/06/2026
CEP is seeking 7 applications for an upcoming training programme, CEP Leadership Excellence Training, designed for a small group of Directors General or Deputy Directors General representing CEP member organisations. This training will take place on 19-21 October 2026, Zagreb, Croatia.
Probation Journal
Framework Decisions
Exploratory Study on the possible Lisbonisation of ex-third pillar acquis in the area of mutual recognition in criminal matters published
23/06/2026
Commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) and undertaken by ICF SA in December 2023, the study, published in April 2026, assesses the mutual recognition of criminal decisions and cross-border cooperation on criminal matters.
Recap
Communication and Awareness-Raising
Expert Group on Communication and Awareness-Raising
18/06/2026
On 16–17 June 2026, the CEP Expert Group on Communication and Awareness Raising met in Bristol, United Kingdom, for a face-to-face meeting. The meeting was hosted by Interventions Alliance and chaired by Michael Baker, Deputy Chief Executive and Lead for Research and Communications, who also leads the Expert Group. Suki Binning, Chief Executive Officer of Interventions Alliance, also joined parts of the programme and welcomed the group during the visit.
Recap
CEP members
CEP visits member Interventions Alliance
18/06/2026
On 16 June 2026, CEP Secretary General Jana Spero Kamenjarin and Communications Officer Hannan Amnad visited Interventions Alliance in the United Kingdom. During the visit, they met with Suki Binning, Chief Executive Officer, Ellie MacCarter, Chief Officer for Operations, Graham Wines, Chief Officer – People and Professional Standards, and Michael Baker, Deputy Chief Executive and Lead for Research and Communications, who also serves as Chair of CEP’s Expert Group on Communication and Awareness-Raising.
New
Reading corner
Technology
Beyond the Headset: What the VR-TooL Pilot tells us about the future of probation training
18/06/2026
This initiative is funded through the Erasmus+ project “Virtual Reality: A Tool in the Treatment of Offenders and Education of Probation Officers,” implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation of Croatia, ESC from Romania, and BeCure from Germany. It focuses on two main components: the development of VR content for offender rehabilitation programmes and VR-based training for probation officers.
The VR content is grounded in Core Correctional Skills and is designed to support both practical skill development and a rehabilitative approach. Virtual reality is introduced as an innovative complement to existing practice, enhancing offender treatment and professional training while supporting, rather than replacing, personal interaction.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.