“Providing Mental Health Support to Probation – A European Perspective” (2024)
Author: Charlie Brooker

This book presents an evidence-based exploration of mental health in the probation context, drawing on research across 27 European countries. . It sets out the significance of mental health for probation staff and includes examples of good working practice, a pragmatic review of the literature and recommendations for further actions agreed by the Council of Europe. It seeks to improve the knowledge of probation staff about mental illness and outlines a future agenda for practice, service organisation and research.

The book also benefits from contributions by Willem van der Brugge, former CEP Secretary General, who wrote the foreword, and Gerry McNally, former CEP President, who supported the research process.

The findings and recommendations outlined in this publication are closely aligned with the ongoing work of the CEP Expert Group on Mental Health. Charlie Brooker also presented on The European survey of probation staff’s knowledge of, and attitudes to, mental illness on November 26th, further underscoring the relevance of this book to the current agenda on mental health within probation services.

Providing a critical review of mental health and probation, the book offers examples of good practice, a review of existing literature, and a roadmap for future action. It is a valuable resource for probation professionals, helping to enhance their knowledge of mental illness and improve the support they offer to individuals in the probation system. Access the book here.

For further insights on this topic, you can listen to a recent interview with Charlie Brooker and Coral Sirdifield, authors of Best Practice in Working with People with Mental Health Problems on Probation. In this interview, they discuss how probation services can engage individuals needing mental health support, the challenges involved, and ways to improve collaboration between mental health and justice services. Listen to the interview here.