Guidance

Probation instructions (PIs)

Policy and guidance for prison and probation professionals in England and Wales.

Applies to England and Wales

Index and notes

This page lists all current probation instructions (PIs). From 2019, all new prison and probation operational policies are published as policy frameworks.

If the PI you want is not listed here, check the PI index. This document lists every PI issued and includes details of those which have been cancelled, updated or replaced by a policy framework. The index also includes the most up-to-date contact details for the owner of each PI.

A PI remains in force until it is formally cancelled, even if the document has passed its expiry date.

Some PIs are not published here because they are restricted or sensitive. HR and other staff-related PIs are not published here but are available on your departmental intranet.

If you have any questions about the contents on this page or would like an electronic copy of a cancelled policy, please email ops3@justice.gov.uk.

(PDF, 1.1 MB, 68 pages)

Prison Service Orders

Prison service instructions

2019 instructions

Number Title
04/2019 Unpaid work
04/2019 (PDF)
04/2019 (PDF)
02/2019 (PDF)
01/2019 Information sharing and the effective managment of electronic monitoring

2018 instructions

Number Title
06/2018 Referring serious further offences for review
03/2018 (PDF)
02/2018 Records information management policy

2016 instructions

Number Title
17/2016 Public protection manual
15/2016 Information sharing agreements
14/2016 Sharing sensitive information with the Parole Board
13/2016 (MS Word)
12/2016 Consulting on health, safety and fire issues
11/2016 (MS Word)
10/2016 Supervised Individual Childcare
08/2016 Information risk management
07/2016 Arranging unpaid work as part of an enforcement order
06/2016 Adult social care
04/2016 Determining pre-sentence reports
02/2016 Offender travel

2015 instructions

Number Title
25/2015 (PDF)
13/2015 Health and safety arrangements
12/2015 (PDF)
08/2015 (PDF)
06/2015 Early days in custody
05/2015 (PDF)
04/2015 (PDF)
03/2015 Managing health and safety
02/2015 Reconsideration of central vetting decisions by exception
01/2015 Prisoner rehabilitation services

2014 instructions

Number Title
63/2014 Mother and baby units
62/2014 (MS Word)
60/2014 Exclusion of personnel on the grounds of misconduct
59/2014 (MS Word)
58/2014 Setting rehabilitation activity requirements
55/2014 Using offenders as mentors in the community and in custody
51/2014 Handling complaints
32/2014 (MS Word)
32/2014 (MS Word)
30/2014 (MS Word)
25/2014 (MS Word)
23/2014 Security vetting: additional risk criteria for ex-offenders
20/2014 Implementation of the Armed Forces Act 2006
19/2014 IT Security Policy
17/2014 Research applications
16/2014 (MS Word)
13/2014 Sentence planning
05/2014 Case allocation
04/2014 Government secure classification policy
03/2014 Security vetting
02/2014 Checking the barred status of prisoners

2013 instructions

Number Title
01/2013 (MS Word)

2012 instructions

Number Title
17/2012 (MS Word)
14/2012 (MS Word)
09/2012 (MS Word)
08/2012 (MS Word)
04/2012 (MS Word)
01/2012 (MS Word)

2010 instructions

Number Title
08/2010 (MS Word)
08/2010 (PDF)
07/2010 (PDF)
05/2010 (PDF)
04/2010 (MS Word)
01/2010 (MS Word)

Some older prison service instructions have been archived by The National Archives and are made available here through the .

Updates to this page

Published 20 January 2021
Last updated 8 April 2025 show all updates
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  5. Probation instructions index updated.

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  15. PI 03/2017 removed.

  16. Probation instructions index updated

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  29. First published.

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