National Offender Management Service (NOMS)

Offender Management is a major change to the way that offenders are handled by the Criminal Justice System. Offender Management brings together the work of the prison and probation services in order to carry out the requirements of the sentence, to protect the public, to prevent re-offending and to help offenders rehabilitate into society. The basis of Offender Management is that a single person, the Offender Manager, is responsible for an offender throughout their entire sentence, whether the sentence is served in custody, in the community or a mixture of both. The Offender Manager is responsible for assessing the offender, planning their sentence, and ensuring that the plan is carried out.

While the Offender Manager has overall responsibility for the offender, they are supported by an Offender Management Team. The team will include:

• Offender Supervisors, who will have day-to-day responsibility for ensuring the offender’s sentence plan is carried out;
• Case Administrators, who will provide administrative support;
• Key Workers responsible for delivering interventions; and
• Other interested parties, such as the offender family.

What are the principles of Offender Management?

• Consistency: the offender needs to experience consistent messages and treatment throughout the sentence;
• Commitment: offenders need to feel that staff are committed;
• Consolidation: new behaviour needs to be rewarded and built on;
• Continuity: in relationships with the offender as well as in care and treatment.