Perspectives on Serious Offending: An International Discussion on Justice, Reform, and Responsibility

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | TuneIn | RSS

On 17th June 2025, IN-CJ and the Probation Institute co-hosted an international webinar exploring some of the most pressing questions in criminal justice: how do we understand serious offending, how should probation systems respond, and what kind of reform is truly needed? The event brought together experts from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States to share insights shaped by research, inspection, and frontline experience. Their reflections are now available in a podcast edition of the session.

Professor Martine Herzog-Evans, a legal scholar from Université de Reims, offered a comparative view from France, especially in relation to domestic violence and coercive control. She highlighted the growing awareness of these issues across Europe but cautioned that criminal justice responses remain inadequate — and, in many cases, harmful. She described a justice system still reliant on bureaucratic and legalistic models that fail to meet victims’ needs or prevent repeated harm. Her contribution called for trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions and warned against populist tendencies that risk further entrenching punitive, ineffective practices.

Professor Faye S. Taxman, a leading criminologist at George Mason University, turned attention to the limitations of how we assess and supervise individuals with violent behaviours. She argued that traditional risk and need assessments routinely miss patterns of violence, focusing instead on static or generic markers. Violence, she contended, is not always offence-specific and should be treated as a behavioural issue rather than merely a legal classification. Taxman called for supervision practices that focus on individual triggers, relational dynamics, and situational responses — particularly beyond substance misuse — to more effectively address violent tendencies.

Martin Jones CBE, Chief Inspector of Probation for England and Wales, gave a candid summary of recent inspection outcomes. Since taking office in March 2024, he noted that every adult Probation Delivery Unit inspected has been rated either “inadequate” or “requires improvement.” This troubling consistency reflects a significant decline in the quality of public protection work, driven by deficits in staffing, resources, and system coherence. Yet, Jones pointed to the contrasting success of youth justice services — many of which continue to perform well — as an indication that reform is possible. His remarks emphasised the need for systemic rethinking, particularly in the context of any future sentencing review.

Shared Reflections and Conclusions

While each speaker addressed a distinct dimension of serious offending, several key themes emerged. First, the importance of moving beyond system preservation toward meaningful reform — one that embraces complexity and builds capacity for relational, trauma-informed approaches. Second, the need to challenge the over-reliance on risk management tools and instead centre human behaviour, context, and motivation. And third, the recognition that international comparisons can both expose blind spots and inspire change.

This conversation does not pretend to offer a single solution to the challenges facing probation and justice systems today. Rather, it opens up a space for deeper reflection, critical questioning, and collaborative learning. We invite listeners to engage with the full discussion via the podcast, and to consider how these insights might inform their own practice or policy thinking.