Volunteers in the Criminal Justice System: A Comparative Study of Probation, Police and Victim Support

The current political context tends to support voluntary work as part of an extended "mixed economy of welfare". This book sets out to remedy the academic neglect of community involvement - and its outcomes - in the criminal justice system. Focusing in detail on three groups of volunteers, those working in the probation service, the police (as special constables) and victim support schemes, it aims to illustrate different strands of the voluntary tradition. The authors draw on local, national, international and historical data, and address both the theoretical and practical issues of voluntarism. They analyze who volunteers and why they choose particular agencies and types of work; how they are received by the professionals; and how far they participate in their subculture. They also suggest in detail how volunteers could be recruited and trained more efficiently and deployed more effectively.