The launch of the inter-agency Commission for the Discussion of Issues Related to the Probation and Penitentiary Sector, marks a major milestone in institutionalising dialogue across its criminal justice system, ensuring structured cooperation, and creating a unified platform for addressing cross-cutting justice sector challenges.

Organised with the support of the Council of Europe projects, this opening session brought together representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Probation Service, Penitentiary Service, judiciary, investigative bodies, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other state institutions. It underscored the critical importance of coordinated decision-making for strengthening legislative reforms, clarifying institutional mandates, and improving the overall functioning of the criminal justice chain.

The two-day event provided an opportunity for in-depth discussion of conceptual issues essential to strengthening cooperation across the criminal justice chain. Discussions focused inter alia on the legal review of conditional early release system, strengthening procedural safeguards with regards to access to justice and legal aid mechanisms; strengthening communication channels among courts, investigative bodies, police, and the probation and penitentiary services and supporting of rehabilitation programmes through strengthened inter-agency cooperation.

The meeting served as a platform for stakeholders to exchange perspectives, identify inter-agency bottlenecks, and outline practical solutions for more coordinated interventions. Participants emphasised the importance of ensuring consistent application of legislation, enhancing information-sharing mechanisms, and developing unified procedures to improve outcomes for offenders and the wider justice system.

The first meeting laid a strong foundation for further activities, including in-depth technical discussions, that will contribute to a more efficient, humane, and collaborative criminal justice system in Armenia.

The activity was organised under the auspice of the Council of Europe Projects “Further strengthening the protection of the rights of persons in detention” and “Further Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” financed and implemented through the Council of Europe Action Plan Armenia (2023 – 2026).