County Durham Probation Service has marked the end of an era as it said goodbye to its long serving Chief Officer Pam McPhee CBE.
Pam began her career back in 1971 as an Insurance Clerk for Legal and General, moving to Berkshire Probation Service a year later. This was the beginning her distinguished career with the National Probation Service which has stretched over 34 years.
As well as County Durham, Pam has worked within Avon, West Midlands and Teesside Probation Services as a Probation Officer, Senior Probation Officer and Assistant Chief Officer respectively and in 1978 she spent six months in America working for Hennepin County Probation Service.
Professor Robert Williams, Chair of the County Durham Probation Board said: “Under Pam’s leadership, County Durham Probation Service has earned a well deserved reputation for performance and innovation locally, nationally and internationally and much of the credit is due to her.
He added: “Board were delighted when her important contribution to the National Probation Service was recognised by the award of a C.B.E. in the Honours List in 2003. The award is richly deserved but Pam would be the first to say that County Durham’s reputation in the criminal justice system is also due to the commitment and dedication of her staff. The Probation Board would like to record its appreciation and gratitude to the ex-Chief for rising so successfully to the challenges of the past 11 years.”
During her 11 years with County Durham, Pam has taken the Service through many changes, most recently preparing staff to enter a new world of contestability with the introduction of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). She has also spent time with the National People’s Congress of China, demonstrating good practice and sharing ideas on the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders.
Recently retired Durham Constabulary Chief Constable Paul Garvin, former Chairman of the Local Criminal Justice Board and colleague of Pam’s, added: “Pam’s work as Vice Chairman of the Local Criminal Justice Board helped put the Board at the forefront of partnership working, helping to pull the many criminal justice agencies together in support of delivering a far better service for the people of County Durham and Darlington. I am sure that her contributions will be missed by all agencies of the Board.”
Pam McPhee said of her retirement: “The Probation Service has a long and noble history and the turbulent media attention we are attracting at the moment ignores the many thousands of offenders we have and will continue to successfully supervise.
“I am extremely proud of County Durham’s workforce and the commitment of all staff in helping offenders in the community to change their attitudes to offending behaviour. It has been a privilege to work within the National Probation Service and the last 11 years have been wonderful.”
Pam celebrated her retirement with a special party at Maxine’s in Darlington where Probation staff, friends, family and board members gathered to say their final farewells. It was an emotional afternoon with speeches from Teesside Probation Service Chief Officer Elaine Lumley, County Durham’s new Chief Officer Russell Bruce and Senior Probation Officer Andrew Bake.
County Durham's response to the recently published NOMS five year strategy for public protection and to reduce re-offending.
Charles Clark has revealed his five year strategy to reduce re-offending, (published today 9th Feb). The strategy outlines the policy direction for public protection, community sentencing, offender management and organisational changes, such as the creation of Probation Trusts and the system of commissioning.
In the document, Charles Clark says: “This strategy sets out how we will reshape our system to make sure that time in the criminal justice system is as effective as it can be in turning lives around and stopping people offending again, rather than serving as a brief interlude in a criminal career.
“We have developed a vision for community prisons, as well as for more schemes to build on the Probation Services ‘Community Payback’ scheme, where local people have a say in what offenders will do to give something back to society to make good the harm they have done.
“Taken together, this strategy will transform the way we punish and manage offenders, reduce re-offending, and cut crime. It will support the law-abiding citizen and the rule of law, and make our society stronger and safer for everyone.”
The strategy includes detail such as replacing all existing community penalties with a single Community Order which will have a mix of up to twelve different requirements; putting unpaid at the heart of community sentences – rising from 5 million hours of unpaid work in 2003 to approaching 10 million by 2011; and making sure that all unpaid work is branded as Community Payback, putting focus on the fact that offenders have to make amends to society for the wrong they have done, giving local councils and communities a say in what offenders do, and making it much more visible.
Hazel Willoughby, Assistant Chief Officer for Unpaid Work in County Durham says: “County Durham was one of the first of the 42 probation areas to launch Community Payback in July last year and we are continuing to ask local people to join forces and help make their community a better place to live by becoming actively involved in the selection of unpaid work projects.”
Pam McPhee, Chief Officer, County Durham Probation Service, adds: “Community Sentencing has a hugely positive effect. Whilst offenders receive suitable punishment, they are given the opportunity to learn new skills which ultimately help make them less likely to re-offend and at the same time they can put something back in to the community.”
