Upon the commencement of the first lockdown in March 2020, HM Probation and Prison services entered an ‘exceptional model of delivery’. Like so many other public and civil services, the criminal justice system (CJS) had to find ways to adapt to the extenuating circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. But how has this ‘exceptional model of delivery’ faired, and how has it impacted the wellbeing and mental health of those working on the front lines of the CJS as well as offenders?