Did the risk assessment identify any particular concerns about racist attitudes or behaviour?
It has to be said that, although probation officers are required to assess the level of harm and dangerousness, we do not specifically or routinely include race unless there is a previous history which would indicate that, say, an assault was racially motivated. In the Exeter Community Safety Strategy the probation service has given an undertaking to provide information under the objective to reduce the incidence of racially motivated crime. When I asked a colleague what our part in this was, he said it was to provide information as required. I just want to illustrate the problem of working together in partnership in these ways – he couldn’t recall either volunteering information or being asked for it. It is anticipated that the recommendations arising from the Inspector’s report that is due out later this month -will include a requirement that all probation services assess risk in relation to race. The next step will then be to confront and challenge any attitudes that are demonstrate
