Research Reports

Young Offenders
The Agression Replacement Training (ART) pilot programme was conducted as part of the Hungarian STARR work package. The aim of the pilot was to test the effectiveness of the ART programme when transferred to Hungary and implemented with offenders across a number of municipalities. 18 Probation staff were trained to implement and deliver the ART programme to clients throughout Hungary between April 2010 and January 2011. The training was evaluated and analysed to determine how successful it was in developing the skills and knowledge required for staff to deliver the programme.

The findings can be read in the report Young Offenders and the ART programme (by Natalie Woodier) (also available in Hungarian / magyar)

London Probation Trust delivered a developmental pilot on community-based activities of organised crime (serious group offending). As part of this pilot first an extensive piece of research was carried out into gang demographics and trends. The research included a literature review; outlines of the drivers and dynamics of gang-related offending; findings from interviews with probation officers in the field and more. Following on from the research a specific training package and toolkit was developed for staff in order to raise awareness of how to work with this particular offender group. A two-day training package was then piloted and evaluated in order to assess learning and changes to practice. 

More about the training package can be read in the Evaluation of London Probation Trust's Serious Group Offending Training (by Clare Choak and Anthony Goodman)

Domestic Violence
The French Ministry of Justice facilitated and managed a local research pilot on Domestic Violence. As part of this pilot the Ministry worked with Penal Administration Department in Mulhouse to investigate a programme implemented by its probation and penal integration departments. 

The findings are described in the report  Parole groups for perpetrators of domestic violence introduced in the judicial district of the Tribunal de Grande Instance [Regional Court] of Mulhouse (by Ludovic Fossey) (also available in French / français)

Drugs & Alcohol
As part of the STARR project, IGA and the Ministry of Justice led on a project development pilot in Bulgaria reviewing and evaluating the process of adaptation, training and delivery of transferred programmes for drug/alcohol addicted offenders in prison and probation. Several programs have been adapted for use in Bulgaria. The development pilot focused on the implementation and the effectiveness of these programmes.  Through desk research, site visits and focus groups all relevant programmes transferred from the UK between 2007 and 2009 were reviewed , reporting on the positive examples of transfer as well as highlighting the challenges and obstacles.