Structure and Governance

Established in 2014, the Probation Institute has operated with a modest committee structure which we have reviewed and updated in 2025.

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Structure of the Probation Institute

From October 2025, the structure of the Probation Institute includes the following groups:

 
 

  • Members are invited to all events and to the AGM at which they are invited to approve new Trustees, and may propose changes to the structure and operations.

  • We currently have ten Trustees who are responsible for steering and governance of the CIO, in accordance with our objects and the requirements of the Charity Commission.

  • Fellows are invited to join us and meet four times a year in an advisory capacity. In 2024 we have introduced a Fellows Working Group which is assisting in drafting papers seeking to influence various bodies in line with our aims and values. There are currently 20 Fellows.

  • In place since 2014, this group is an advisory network of academics from across the justice sector. We work closely with the network; to engage them with our research projects and with the two smaller groups (Research Panel and Probation Institute Research Awards Panel). The Network provides mentors for the Research Awards Scheme Candidates. Membership is by invitation or request.

  • This group has been meeting regularly with the primary purpose of sharing research, steering and arranging Probation Institute Research Events - online events on current areas of practice. Currently there are eight members of the Committee which is now chaired by Dr Matt Tidmarsh from the University of Leeds. We are keen to recruit more practitioners to join this panel. The editor of the Probation Quarterly is a member of this group.

  • The Sir Graham Smith Award Scheme was inherited by the Probation Institute and successfully operated under the PI for ten years to 2025, when it was replaced by the Probation Institute Research Awards.

  • This is a sub panel of the Academic Advisory Network. The task of this group is to select suitable candidates for the new Probation Institute Research Awards (General and Women in the Criminal Justice System), to support the candidates and monitor the outputs of the research. The Panel invites a mentor for the PI Research Awards from the Academic Advisory Network. The Panel will also guide the publication, launch and promotion of the completed research reports.