Positive reinforcement through early revocation

I went to Court today to meet with someone who was having an application made for their order being revoked because of good progress.  After being involved with drugs and offending for a long time they have turned their whole life around:
no drugs for two years, employment, good relationships with their children.  This has clearly not been an easy journey to make, but the happiness displayed and pride in this man was clear to see.  I also spoke with the Probation Officer who was also highly commending of the progress

The early revocation of an order can demonstrate to the individual that their efforts and progress have been recognised.  I was told today by the service user that this was the best form of reinforcement that could be given to someone supervised by Probation.  Another aspect of this is the positive report that is provided to the Court which provides a clear record of the progress made.  For the order to be revoked, the Magistrates or Judge must agree with the decision, again reinforcing the positive changes.  This form of "reward" can be an important way to reinforce the positive changes.  

Today I was reminded of how change doesn't necessarily happen within the first period of supervision, or the second, or the third.  As practitioners we need to be patient and adapt our approaches to encourage change, depending on the circumstances at the time.  This was evident in the discussions with the Probation Officer today.  What also needs to happen is tailoring our approaches to the individual depending on what they need at that time.  I think that this is what has happened with the individual today, and he is determined that he will not be going to Court again.