Community Corrections in Finland

Finland has a long history of probation—its probation service is over 150 years old. Personnel do social work with clients using the desistance paradigm, the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model, and the good lives model (GLM). The profession is defined as criminal justice social work and probation is considered part of the criminal justice chain. The working culture can be described as innovative and client-oriented. Treatment, rehabilitation, programs, interventions, digitalization, and social support are included in client work. Values, attitudes, thinking patterns, and behavior are targeted through the evidence-based practices of probation work. Probation staff promote desistance and engage in change work with clients, supporting them as they serve community sanctions and fulfill the conditions of supervision.