Defensible Decisions For Risk: Or 'It's The Doers Wot Get The Blame'

Risk assessment is becoming ever more central to the probation task, with front-line probation staff becoming increasingly aware of their accountability for mistakes in assessing and managing dangerous offenders. Hazel Kemshall, Lecturer in Probation Studies at the University of Birmingham, argues that the complex and indeterminate nature of risk assessment places an unfair pressure on practitioners who should expect a greater degree of managerial responsibility for front-line practice.