Probation

Probation is the service that supervises some people in the community. You may be supervised by probation if the court gives you a community order or suspended sentence order, or if you are released from prison on licence.

Your court order, licence or supervision notice tells you what applies to you and what you must do. Read it carefully and keep a copy.

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Requirements, licence conditions, release dates and supervision periods depend on the individual case.

What probation can involve

Probation may supervise people who are:

You will usually have a named probation practitioner, offender manager or supervising officer. They should explain your requirements, appointments, sentence plan and the consequences of not complying.

See GOV.UK: guide to probation and GOV.UK: the Probation Service.

Check your order, licence or supervision notice

Your written documents are the most important source of information about your case. They should explain:

Do not rely on general rules to work out your release date, licence end date or requirements. Ask your supervising officer if anything is unclear.

If you cannot attend or comply

Contact your probation practitioner immediately using the details on your appointment letter, sentence plan or licence. Do not wait until the next appointment.

Explain why you cannot attend or comply and provide evidence if you are asked to, such as a doctor’s letter or employer’s letter. Tell probation as early as possible if disability, illness, caring responsibilities, transport, work, faith or another issue affects your ability to comply.

Do not simply stop attending. Your requirements remain binding unless probation or the court changes them.

Read meetings, home visits and contact with your probation practitioner.

Community orders

A community order is a sentence set by the court. It can include one or more requirements.

Requirements can include unpaid work, a curfew, treatment, rehabilitation activities, programmes, restrictions on where you go, a requirement to live at a particular address, or appointments with probation.

Your order will state exactly what you must do, where to attend and by when. Follow your written order, not a general list of examples.

See GOV.UK: what you can and cannot do on a community sentence.

Suspended sentence orders

A suspended sentence order is a prison sentence that the court suspends for a set period. You do not go to prison immediately, but you must not commit another offence and may have to complete requirements set by the court.

If you are alleged to have breached a requirement, or commit another offence during the suspended sentence period, the court may deal with the order. It can activate all or part of the prison sentence, vary the order, or take another lawful action.

See Sentencing Council: community and custodial sentences.

If you do not follow a community order or suspended sentence order

If probation believes you have failed to comply without a reasonable excuse, it may take breach action. The court decides what happens next.

The court may take account of your overall compliance, what you have completed, the reason for the alleged breach and whether health, disability, mental health issues or learning difficulties affected your ability to comply. The outcome depends on the original offence, the order and the alleged breach.

See GOV.UK: if you break the rules of your probation, Sentencing Council: breach of a community order and Sentencing Council: breach of a suspended sentence order.

Licence after prison

If you are released on licence, you must follow the conditions in your written licence until the date it ends. Conditions may cover appointments, where you live, who you can contact, where you can go, curfews, electronic monitoring, treatment, testing or other risk management requirements.

Whether you are released automatically or by the Parole Board depends on your sentence type, offence and sentencing date. Check your release paperwork or ask your offender manager which rules apply to you.

Read release on licence for licence conditions, changes and recall.

Post sentence supervision

You may have post sentence supervision after your licence ends if the law applies to your sentence. This can include supervision and requirements after release.

Check your licence and supervision notice, or ask your supervising officer, to find out whether it applies to you, what you must do and when it ends.

Recall to prison

If you breach your licence or your risk increases, you may be recalled to prison. Recall is separate from being sentenced for a new offence.

If you are recalled, you should be told the reason and about your right to make written representations. Get legal advice quickly. The recall type and re release process depend on the sentence and recall category.

See GOV.UK: being taken back to prison and Criminal Justice Act 2003, sections 252 and 254.

If you need help to comply

Tell probation as early as possible if a disability, mental health condition, learning difficulty, neurodivergence, language need, caring responsibility or other issue affects your ability to understand or meet a requirement.

Ask what adjustment or support may be available. Your requirements remain binding unless probation or the court changes them, so do not simply stop attending.

Help with housing, work and health

Probation may help or refer you for support with housing, employment, education, training, health, substance use and family relationships. Availability depends on your circumstances and local services.

If you are leaving prison, ask about benefits, accommodation, identification, healthcare and appointments before release. See GOV.UK: support when someone leaves prison.

If you are under 18

Children and young people are supervised through the youth justice system, not probation in the same way as adults. A Youth Offending Team usually manages community supervision.

Youth sentences can include a referral order, a Youth Rehabilitation Order, or a Detention and Training Order. A Detention and Training Order includes time in custody and time under supervision in the community.

Information for victims

Eligible victims of specified serious violent or sexual offences may be offered the Victim Contact Scheme. A Victim Liaison Officer can provide information about sentence changes, parole and release, and consider requests for relevant licence conditions.

The scheme applies to eligible cases where the offender receives 12 months or more in prison. See GOV.UK: Victim Contact Scheme.

If you are unhappy with probation

Raise the problem with your probation practitioner or local probation office first, if you feel able to do so. If it is not resolved, use the Probation Service complaints process.

A complaint about probation service is different from challenging a court order, licence condition, recall or sentence. Seek legal advice promptly for those issues.

See GOV.UK: Probation Service complaints procedure.

Key points to remember

Official sources

This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Get advice from a qualified criminal or prison law solicitor about your own order, licence, recall or release arrangements.