Experiencing penal supervision: a literature review

Penal supervision – by probation officers or by other state agents – has only comparatively recently begun to be considered by academics as an experience in its own right, despite the relatively lengthy history of its use. This article provides an overview of that scholarship. It considers the motivations that have led to the study of the experience of penal supervision, and some of the groups whose experiences are noteworthy. It then reviews a range of ‘pains’ and ‘gains’ of penal supervision, and argues that, whilst these experiences are contingent on a range of external factors, they raise substantial implications for policy and practice.