Abstract
How society should deal with people who commit criminal acts is a question that has been asked for centuries. A recent evolution in Belgium and other European countries is to submit more offenders to alternative sanctions or measures. This means that they are not imprisoned, but placed under supervision and guidance while remaining part of society. Social work has traditionally been involved with implementing alternative sanctions and measures. Although these new forms of punishment are increasingly applied, academic research on the way supervision and guidance of offenders in the community is organized, is relatively scarce. Moreover, what actually happens in the practice of community supervision is still a 'black box': we don't know much about what practitioners actually do. However, one thing we do know from research, is that a good working relationship between practitioners and offenders forms a crucial element in the success of the supervision process. That is why it is important to know how this working relationship takes shape, how it develops over time and whether it can be positively influenced. These questions are the core of my doctoral research. By looking at the practice of community supervision in different ways (using observations, interviews and questionnaires), I contribute to the development of knowledge in a field that has remained underexposed in academic research.
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