The National Probation Service for England and Wales:

	Provides reports on people charged with an offence - this helps Magistrates and Judges decide on the sentence they pass in court.
	Enforces community sentences by ensuring offenders: carry out unpaid work that benefits the community and/or attend supervision with a probation officer and attend an offending behaviour programme and/or attend for drug misuse treatment & testing
	If offenders don't co-operate then probation staff arrange return to court for a further punishment. This may be an additional community sentence, a fine or imprisonment.
	Delivers specialist programmes for offenders proven to reduce further offending.
	Provides Prison Governors with specialist reports. These help assess whether or not a prisoner should be released into the community. This can be via a licence or Home Detention Curfew.
	Works with prisoners before and after their release from prison. Tackles the causes of their offending. Re-integrates them into the community on their release.
	Liaises with victims of serious crime. Keeps them informed about prisoner's progress in prison. Obtains feedback about any concerns they have about proposed release.
	Works with employment, education and accommodation services to help offenders live crime-free lives. Support in these areas has been shown to reduce the chances of people offending again.
	Works with other agencies and organisations for local crime reduction and community safety e.g. police, courts, local authorities, health services, substance misuse/drug services, voluntary agencies, Youth Offending Teams.