BBC drama about the Probation Service
The BBC has commissioned a drama which will be set in the Probation Service. It will be interesting to see how accurately the Service is represented by Tony Marchant- if you need to consult with someone who has spent a considerable amount of time observing life in probation, do get in touch! The drama will be called public enemies- presumably this is a nod towards the way offenders are seen as the enemies of the public who need to be brought on side through reparation and restitution.
I enjoy looking for inaccurate representations of the Probation Service on TV. One memorable incident occurred on EastEnders when Ian Beale was doing his Unpaid Work. There he was, working away in his orange vest (they got that bit right) when along came his daughter who was having a crisis – she walked up to Ian, they had a chat and they then both walked off- complete with orange vest- without a word to or from his UPW supervisor about talking to members of the public and, basically, absconding from UPW without permission!
