(written by Sarah Galvani, 2005)

The social worker's role

Social work contact with people involved in the criminal justice system and their families may take several forms. Statutory involvement may be with the children and family of ‘the offender’ or as a worker on a specialist team working with drug using offenders. It may be in a support role for the victim of an offence or supporting the health needs of the individual. It may also be acting as an ‘appropriate adult’ at a police station following arrest if the person is under age or perceived as vulnerable in some other way, eg. mental health problems.

Until the mid 90s, probation officers in England trained as social workers and thus operated from the same value base and ethical codes as any other social worker. In Scotland and Northern Ireland probation officers are still trained as social workers, indeed the equivalent title for a probation officer in Scotland is a Criminal Justice Social Worker. Probation officer training in England is now absorbed under the criminal justice agenda which prioritises ‘offender management’ and punishment of offenders.

Thus, the social worker’s involvement with people being processed through the criminal justice system, at whatever stage, is an important one. Its uniqueness is its desire to work in a holistic way and to recognise the importance of social care and social support in helping someone rehabilitate from both offending behaviour and substance use. The role of social workers to advocate for their client is also key to working with people in the criminal justice system.

Equally important is the need for social workers to be clear about the law in relation to substance use (see Policy section) and to have a good and critically reflective understanding of the links between crime and substance use.

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