There are some criminals in Brighton and Hove who are particularly troubling to the Public Protection Team.
Some they would even describe as scary.
The Public Protection Team includes probation officers who are often criticised even though few people know what they really do.
A Brighton documentary maker set out to find out. The result is being screened on BBC1 tonight (Tuesday 5 February).
Emma Wakefield, from Lambent Productions, soon learnt that the Public Protection Team in Brighton has to manage 30 paedophiles.
The team also routinely handles murderers, rapists and armed robbers.
Their job includes managing offenders who have been released on licence from prison having committed serious and disturbing crimes.
Few people would be surprised to learn that probation officers need empathy. But they also need to be remarkably robust.
Emma Wakefield, the executive producer of the documentary, Out of Jail and on the Streets, said: “This is a ground-breaking film with unprecedented access to busy probation teams and the offenders they manage.
“We all know about criminals in prison. We know nothing about what happens when they come out.
“We have no idea about the way they are controlled, supervised and monitored. We know nothing about what it might take to change them. And we never see what it takes to keep us safe. Until now.
“This film uncovers all of that through the detailed work of officers at the Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust.
“Beyond the bars and locked gates of prison it’s hard to keep tabs on offenders.
“And back in the community, it’s often difficult for them to keep on track too.
“The probation officers in this film walk the tightrope of control, care and supervision of some of the most high-risk offenders.
“I shadowed some probation officers to see what they do to make sure we represented them properly.
