WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A...PROBATION OFFICER

Meet Sarah Port, 40, deputy head of the Probation Delivery Unit in North Essex

If you assumed that probation officers tend to be big, burly men, think again. In fact, around 75% of the probation service workforce in the UK are women. One of these is Sarah Port, who has spent nearly 20 years helping offenders with their rehabilitation, both during prison and in the community. Here, Sarah shares what the role involves.

How did you get into your career?

I found out about the probation service when studying Sociology for A-Level. Fascinated, I did a degree in Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Leeds, and applied to the Ministry of Justice's probation officer training course.

What did the training involve?

The two-year course involved academic study and vocational training. You work in the office and on placement, before you're allocated cases. The offences of individuals you work with increase in seriousness as you gain experience. In the beginning, it's likely to be crimes like driving offences or public order offences. You progress to complex cases, such as those who've been convicted of violent or sexual offences.

How has your career developed since you first qualified?

My first role in 2007 was in a sentence management team, with people sentenced to community orders or completing their sentences in the community. I went on to work in the training department, before becoming a senior probation officer and managing a team for 10 years. I've been in my current role for two years.

How do probation officers support offenders?