We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. An absence of compassion can corrupt the decency of a community, a state, a nation. Fear and anger can make us vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair, until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and we condemn ourselves as much as we victimize others. The closer we get to mass incarceration and extreme levels of punishment, the more I believe it's necessary to recognize that we all need mercy, we all need justice, and – perhaps – we all need some measure of unmerited grace. (Stevenson, 2015: 18)

Introduction

The creation of the probation service in England and Wales could be seen as an expression of public theology in action involving a heady mix of evangelism and philanthropy. The importance of the Evangelical movement in penal reform generally throughout the 19th century is demonstrated by Martin Wiener (1990), and it is perhaps no coincidence that prison reformers John Howard and Elizabeth Fry were closely associated with the Evangelical movement (Ignatieff, 1978), as was Mary Carpenter whose pioneering work established the reformatory school system to deal with the issue of juvenile delinquency (Radzinowicz and Hood, 1986). As Mair and Burke (2012: 8) note, Evangelicals

Salvation – the saving of souls – was central to their beliefs and this involved missionary work with sinners. The late Victorian forerunner of the probation officer was the police court missionary. As the name implies the term ‘missionary’ belies its religious credentials and the reference to ‘police court’ relates to the attachment to what was to become the magistrates’ courts.