Mine usually get the details incorrect but I feel like I have to admit to everything they say or it will not be seen as complying.

For example I would describe my offence as retaliating to someone with online harassment who had done similar to me in the past. I knew them from school, however the OM always focus on my dating site activities - I have never had an issue with anyone on dating sites or any other female than the one from my case.

At the end of the day I do know I done something wrong, but I also know that it wasn't as simple as that with many facts being twisted against me and dragging on the guilt (and adding more things) for years after the offence does not seem constructive for rehabilitation.

Other aspects of this situation include the fact that last year probation were directed From On High that they had to see everyone on their caseload regularly: no phone calls or meeting at other venues. Plenty of lifers found themselves back in the office monthly rather than having a phone call every few months. Obviously, the recent situation put a temporary end to face-to-face meetings, but they're starting again in most areas. I'm guessing that in Scotland, where this is dealt with by social workers working for the local authority, the approach is different and more discretion is allowed. Secondly, both types of probation have an incentive to paint a bleak picture of the "service user" so that when their supervision ends, they can paint a much brighter picture and say what a great job they've done. It's not personal, except for the probation officer(s) involved.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

My sentence now comes to an end (apart from the record which will affect me for years to come).

Unpaid work - Thoroughly enjoyed getting out to different places, doing practical work and meeting new people.

Supervision element (while in Scotland) - Nice to have a reasonable chat with someone about the offence although sometimes turned demeaning when incorrect things were assumed about it. Quickly went down to monthly appointments and this was ideal. The travel there was quite impractical (usually 20 miles away).

Probation element (while in England) - The main OM I had was much more antagonising than my previous criminal justice social worker with messing me about with appointments and then putting the blame on me etc. They didn't seem to bother to learn anything about the offence, so it was basically a tiresome case of checking in and sometimes touching on the offence but again, making assumptions which were wrong. These were usually weekly phonecalls with some f2f appointments and I found it really tiresome having weekly contact after being used to monthly. I had chats with a couple of other OMs and these seemed more reasonable people than my main one.