Geoff Emerson, RJ Manager, Thames Valley Probation

Geoff has worked in the Probation Service for over thirty years as a manager and practitioner in both prison and community sentences. He managed the multi-agency site for Thames Valley Probation between 2001 and 2005, which formed part of the Justice Research Consortium research into the effectiveness of RJ, funded and evaluated by the Home Office. The site delivered RJ as part of prison and community sentences and achieved high levels of victim satisfaction and reductions in re-offending.

Since 2008 he has led a small team delivering RJ as a Specified Activity Requirement as part of Community and Suspended Sentence Orders, more than 40% of which come from Crown Courts. The team also undertakes RJ work commissioned by other agencies, including a number of CDRPs and the Oxfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team. This work is beginning to show that RJ can be effective with Prolific and Priority Offenders.