Context

John, 29, was sentenced to 18 months of probation for repeated theft. He has a history of substance misuse (alcohol), unstable housing, and a group of friends involved in petty crime. He dropped out of school at 16 and has held only short-term, informal jobs. He has a five-year-old daughter he sees occasionally. This is his fourth supervision session. He arrived on time but looks tense. There is enough relationship between those two.

Dialogue 1: RNR-Oriented Practice

Probation Officer: John, come in. Have a seat. How’s the week been?

John: Alright, I suppose. Nothing special.

Probation Officer: Okay. Last time we met, we went through the assessment together, and I explained how things will work over the coming months. Today I’d like us to start looking more closely at some of the areas that came up — the ones that seem most connected to the trouble you’ve been getting into.

John: You mean like a plan or something?

Probation Officer: Yes, something like that. As you remember, the assessment flagged a few things — your drinking, the people you spend time with, and the fact that you’ve been out of work for a while. These are the kinds of things that research tells us actually drive offending. So if we focus on them, we’ve got a better chance of things going differently this time.

John: I mean, everyone drinks. That’s not why I stole stuff.

Probation Officer: I hear you. And I’m not saying alcohol is the only issue. But let me ask you this — the last two offences, had you been drinking before?

John: (pause) Yeah. Both times, actually.

Probation Officer: Right. So it may not be the cause, but it seems to be part of the picture. It lowers your guard, makes certain decisions easier to make in the moment. Does that make sense?

John: I guess. I wasn’t thinking straight either time.

Probation Officer: That’s exactly the kind of thing I mean. The way you think in those moments — impulsive, not weighing up consequences — that’s something we can actually work on. There are practical techniques that help people slow down and make better decisions when they’re under pressure. It’s not about lecturing you. It’s about building a skill.

John: Okay. What about the job stuff?

Probation Officer: That’s important too. Being out of work keeps you in a cycle — no structure, no money, too much free time, and that usually means more time around people who aren’t helping you stay out of trouble. Am I wrong?

John: No, you’re probably right. Most of my mates aren’t exactly model citizens.

Probation Officer: And that’s a real issue. I’m not going to tell you to drop all your friends overnight — that’s not realistic. But I do want us to think about what happens when you’re around them. Do things escalate? Do you end up doing things you wouldn’t do on your own?

John: Sometimes, yeah.

Probation Officer: So here’s what I’d suggest. We focus on three things: getting the drinking under control, starting to look seriously at employment options, and being more deliberate about who you spend time with. Not all at once — but step by step. I can refer you to a substance misuse service, and we can look at what kind of work might suit you. Sound reasonable?

John: I’m not great at interviews and all that.

Probation Officer: That’s fine. We’ll work on that too. The point isn’t to fix everything in one session. It’s to start in the right place — with the things that are most likely to keep pulling you back in. Agreed?

John: Yeah. Alright.

Dialogue 2: Desistance-Oriented Practice

Probation Officer: John, good to see you. Come in. How have things been since we last spoke?

John: Not bad. Quiet, really. Just getting through the days.

Probation Officer: Quiet isn’t always a bad thing. Last time you mentioned something that stayed with me — you said you were tired of how things have been going. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

John: I don’t know. It’s just… I’m nearly thirty. I’ve got a daughter I barely see. I’ve got nothing to show for anything. And I keep ending up in the same mess.

Probation Officer: That sounds like frustration, but also like you’re starting to see things differently. The fact that you’re even saying this — that matters.

John: Does it though? Saying it doesn’t change anything.

Probation Officer: Maybe not on its own. But in my experience, people don’t change direction without first recognising that the old direction isn’t working. You’re doing that. That’s not nothing.

John: (shrugs) I suppose.

Probation Officer: Let me ask you something. You mentioned your daughter. What kind of father do you want to be for her?

John: (long pause) A proper one. Someone she’s not ashamed of. I don’t want her growing up telling people her dad’s been in trouble with the law.

Probation Officer: That’s a powerful thing to say. And it tells me something — you’re not just thinking about staying out of trouble. You’re thinking about who you want to be. Those are different things.

John: I never really thought of it that way.

Probation Officer: A lot of people who’ve been through the system get stuck in the idea that they are what they’ve done. But identity isn’t fixed. People do change — not overnight, and not in a straight line, but they do. And often the change starts before anyone else notices it. You coming here on time, twice now — that’s a choice. A small one, but it’s yours.

John: My mates think it’s a joke. They say I’m wasting my time.

Probation Officer: And what do you think?

John: I think I don’t want to end up like them in ten years.

Probation Officer: That says a lot. You know, one of the hardest parts of moving on is that the world around you doesn’t always catch up. People still see the old version of you. That can be discouraging. But it doesn’t mean the change isn’t real.

John: It’s hard though. I go back to the same flat, same street, same faces. Nothing’s different.

Probation Officer: You’re right — and I don’t want to pretend that’s easy. But let’s think about what could shift, even slightly. Are there people in your life — maybe outside that circle — who see something good in you? Family, someone from the past, anyone?

John: My sister, maybe. She’s always on at me to sort myself out. But she also helps me with my daughter sometimes.

Probation Officer: That sounds like someone worth investing in. Not because I’m telling you to, but because that relationship might be part of the life you’re trying to build. What if we thought together, over the coming weeks, about what small steps could bring you closer to being the person you just described to me — the proper father, the one your daughter isn’t ashamed of?

John: I’d like that. I just don’t know where to start.

Probation Officer: That’s what we’re here for. We start where you are. And we go from there.

Note for learners: Both dialogues describe competent, ethical practice. The difference lies in emphasis. The RNR-oriented session structures the conversation around assessed risk factors and targets intervention accordingly. The desistance-oriented session follows the client’s emerging narrative of change and supports identity shifts, hope, and social connections. In practice, the most effective practitioners integrate elements of both.