Who do we think we are? Exploring Probation Identity
Call for Papers: BSC Probation and Community Justice Network Annual Conference
Date: 22 April 2026, 9.30am - 4pm
Venue: Hugh Aston Building, De Montfort University
CfP Deadline: 09 January 2026
The BSC Probation and Community Justice Network, in partnership with De Montfort University is pleased to announce its next annual conference. This event is designed to advance the Networks core aims: to critically examine probation and community justice research, provide a platform for new and established voices to contribute to contemporary debates, support the development of networks and opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange. The focus of this conference is probation identity.
Call for Papers: The Probation and Community Justice Network places a particular emphasis on creating spaces for new voices to emerge, and therefore we would particularly welcome contributions from early career academics and practitioners.
Papers may address the theme of identity in a variety of ways, including, (but not limited to):
The impact of policy changes, structural reform and institutional arrangements
The construction of professional identity
The experiences of staff and practitioners who are from communities that are marginalised
How recruitment, retention and workload pressures impact on practitioner’s sense of identity and purpose
How different roles within the probation service negotiate their identities – particularly roles and locations that are not often centred in sentence management. We are interested in perspectives from those working in diverse roles in prisons, approved premises, interventions and in partnership roles
The role and identity of third sector organisations in the delivery of community justice
The perceptions of those who probation serves
The influence of digital technology, remote working and virtual supervision
The focus on individualisation and probation’s relationship with social justice
Perceptions of justice
International perspectives
We welcome submissions for panel discussions, workshops, posters, round table discussions as well as non-traditional forms of knowledge presentation
To submit a proposal, please send a 200-word abstract to BSCPCJ@gmail.com by 19 December 2025