Reflecting on flexibility in the probation system: Learning from Catalonia and England and Wales

Abstract

The criminological literature affirms that the flexibility of probation officers is a very important aspect and highly valued by the community users' population and, in fact, is an important element that stands out in good-quality supervision in the community. However, flexibility remains an abstract concept and varies according to different jurisdictions. Moreover, there is little literature on what it means in theory and in practice to be flexible, how it is understood by professionals and how it is understood by users. This article reviews the literature on flexibility and discretion by differentiating between two frequently related concepts. It takes the example of Catalonia and England and Wales and the respective research in which the authors have been involved to examine what is meant by flexibility, conceptually and in practice. To do so, they analyse the experiences of both professionals and the user population in both jurisdictions through an intersectional perspective focused mainly on gender. Finally, evidence-based implications are presented.