Mark Wilson

The LQA unit was established in December 2020 and became operational in January 2021.

One of the unit’s principal functions is to deal with legal queries from staff, with analysis of legal queries being used to inform future training and policy reviews.

“For example, cumulative queries with related core issues have identified the need to develop policies related to the work of the Probation Service in respect of matters of deportation, freedom of movement and Brexit, among others,” the service’s annual report for 2021 states.

“These issues have resulted in co-ordinated work with partners across the criminal justice sector including the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

However, the unit also “actively contributes to the development of new legislation” and was “heavily involved” in the drafting of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill, which has been under development since 2014.

The report also states that the unit “worked closely with the Department of Justice” in developing the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021, which strengthens rules around how sex offenders are managed in the community.

In 2021, the Probation Service worked with 15,448 people in the community and 2,730 people in prison.

Welcoming the annual report, justice minister Helen McEntee said: “The Probation Service performs a crucially important role within our criminal justice system in helping to reduce the level of crime and in enhancing public safety by working with offenders to help change their behaviour and make good the harm done by crime.

“I would like to thank the director, Mark Wilson and the team at the Probation Service for their unwavering commitment to service delivery and the effective management of risk in our communities while working under the exceptional challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Mark Wilson, director of the Probation Service, added: “2021 was a year of challenges and important changes for the Probation Service as we witnessed a sustained increase in referrals when normal operations resumed post-pandemic.

“We advanced our commitment to modernising our Service by embracing technology and investing in high-quality research to inform our practice. I would like to thank colleagues across the Service for their dedication and commitment throughout the year.”