Does it really matter what offenders think? The importance of uncovering offenders' experiences in prison and on probation

The customer is always right, right? If so, why does it seem that so little attention is paid to the consumers of the Criminal Justice System? Offenders’ views of the way they are treated in prison and probation are considered an important element in their punishment and rehabilitation. They are involved in sentence planning and the latest set of National Standards for Offender Management has an enhanced section devoted to ‘The Offender’s Experience’. Academics and practitioners are asking offenders exactly what they think of their experiences in NOMS. This article will explore the reasons why and how offenders have been asked to give feedback on their time in prison and on probation and will give some examples of what offenders actually think of the interventions and the people who run them. It will also ask why we bother to ask what offenders think about their treatment – does it really matter?