Building upon the results achieved from the implementation of the Project “Support the scaling-up of the probation service in Armenia”, the Project “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” financed by Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023 – 2026 assists national authorities in facilitating the use of probation services in the country, thus enhancing community safety and the fair administration of justice. 
It is implemented in close cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Justice and State Probation Service, as well as other national stakeholders, including civil society organisations active in are of probation.
The Project will focus on accomplishing the following outcomes:

  • The knowledge and skills of probation officers on probation methods, risks and needs assessment tool and rehabilitation programmes are enhanced thanks to effective and sustainable training centres and regular staff evaluation;
  • The co-operation among all actors of the criminal justice system on the basis of a shared understanding of new Probation service functions and respective roles and responsibilities is enhanced;
  • The accessibility by offenders to effective rehabilitation/resocialisation programmes is enhanced;
  • E-probation system is further updated and supported to become operational.

The key documents for this Project are Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)1 on the Council of Europe Probation Rules, Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)3 on the European Rules on community sanctions and measures, Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)4 on electronic monitoring, Rec. R (2003) 22 concerning conditional release, as well as the findings and the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
The duration of the Project was set at 24 months, and it was completed on 31 December 2024, with an overall budget of 500 000 Euros.
 

project news

Strengthening support for inmates and probationers: collaborative approaches to rehabilitation

16 December 2024 Armenia

A workshop held in Armenia on 14-15 December 2024 brought together representatives from the Penitentiary and Probation services, experts, and civil society to discuss ways to improve rehabilitation programmes for inmates and probationers. It focused on reducing reoffending and promoting...

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Working Group discusses amendments to Armenia’s Probation Law

13 December 2024 Armenia

On 5 December 2024, a Working Group meeting was held in Yerevan with a focus on the draft legislative package amending the Law on Probation, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Penitentiary Code. This initiative reflects Armenia's commitment to aligning its probation system with international...

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Advancing Armenia’s probation services: building a foundation for effective alternative sanctions

20 November 2024 Armenia

In a significant step forward for the criminal justice reform of Armenia, the Council of Europe project Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia, has achieved remarkable milestones in reinforcing Armenia's probation services over the past year. This among others included the support in the...

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Enhancing Armenia's Probation Service through targeted training

20 - 22 August 2024 Yerevan, Armenia

In an important effort to enhance the rehabilitation of probationers, Armenia recently hosted a specialised training of trainers from 20 to 22 August 2024, in Yerevan. This event brought together experts from the Probation Service and the Centre for Legal Education and Rehabilitative Programmes...

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Advancing restraint measures alternative to detention in Armenia

21 June 2024 Armenia

The new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia extends the catalogue of restraint measures by introducing administrative control and house arrest, the latter being closest to detention in terms of restriction of the rights and freedoms. To ensure the proper implementation of the new provisions of the...

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Advancing restraint measures alternative to detention in Armenia

21 June 2024 Armenia

The new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia extends the catalogue of restraint measures by introducing administrative control and house arrest, the latter being closest to detention in terms of restriction of the rights and freedoms. To ensure the proper implementation of the new provisions of the...

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Third joint Steering Committee meeting of Armenian projects

17 June 2024 Armenia

Building on the Council of Europe's commitment to support criminal justice reforms in Armenia, the projects “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of the Persons in Detention in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” set the agenda for the second half of 2024. At their...

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Conference on exploring effective approaches to rehabilitation in criminal justice: international insights

12 June 2024 Armenia

The conference, held on June 11-12, 2024 in Yerevan, brought together professionals and experts from different countries to explore effective rehabilitation approaches in criminal justice. Organised by the "Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention" and "Strengthening the...

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Yerevan State University hosts probation-academia cooperation session

12 June 2024 Armenia

On 10 June 2024, the Faculty of Law at the Yerevan State University hosted an awareness raising session on the importance of probation services and possible cooperation with academic institutions. This initiative, part of the Council of Europe’s efforts to strengthen Armenia’s Probation Service,...

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Training of Trainers in Armenia on alternatives to detention

11 June 2024 Armenia

In an ongoing effort to enhance Armenia's Probation Service, the Council of Europe organised a Training of Trainers session on 7-8 June 2024 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. Attended by participants from the Probation Service of Armenia and the Centre for the Implementation of Legal Education and...

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Workshop in Yerevan addresses ill-treatment documentation issues in police detention facilities

06 June 2024 Armenia

On 5 June 2024 a workshop focusing on the documentation of alleged ill-treatment cases in police detention facilities took place in Yerevan. The presence of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, along with key representatives from various governmental bodies including the Ministry of Health,...

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Training-of-trainers for Probation Service specialists and legal educators in Armenia

23-25 May 2024 Tsaghkadzor, Armenia

To strengthen further the rehabilitation work with probationers in Armenia, a specialised training was conducted from 23 to 25 May 2024 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. The training targeted specialists from both the Probation Service and the ”Centre for Legal Education and Rehabilitative Programmes”,...

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Public consultation on conditional release policies

15 May 2024 Armenia

Public consultation on reforming the system of conditional release in Armenia took place in Yerevan on 15 May 2024. Among the attendees were representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General's Office, Penitentiary Service, Probation Service and relevant NGOs. The aim of the...

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Fostering interagency cooperation: workshop empowers collaboration in Armenia's criminal justice system

6 May 2024 Armenia

A recent joint workshop held in Tsaghkadzor on 2-3 May, organised within the framework of two Council of Europe projects – “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” – brought together key stakeholders from...

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Collaborative workshop advances rehabilitation programmes for violent offenders in Armenia

6 May 2024 Armenia

In an ongoing effort to develop innovative rehabilitation programmes addressing the specific needs of probationers who have issues with violent behaviour, the Council of Europe hosted a two-day workshop at the Probation Service in Yerevan, Armenia, on 29 and 30 April 2024. It focused on creating...

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Focusing on rehabilitation programmes for probationers struggling with addictions

07 March 2024 Armenia

In a collaborative effort to confront pressing challenges surrounding the implementation of rehabilitation programmes for probationers suffering from addictions, stakeholders from different sectors gathered at a workshop organised by the Council of Europe in Yerevan on March 7, 2024. The workshop...

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Boosting probation staff performance: innovating evaluation and monitoring discussed at working group meeting

16 February 2024 Yerevan, Armenia

The 2nd working group meeting on 16 February 2024 in Yerevan, Armenia of representatives from the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Justice, and the Probation Service in Armenia, discussed the ways of enhancing probation staff evaluation methods. Highlighting a shared commitment to aligning...

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Second joint Steering Committee Meeting of Armenian projects

07.12.2023 Armenia

Building on the Council of Europe's commitment to protecting human rights in Armenia, the projects "Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention" and "Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia" set the agenda for first half of 2024. At their joint Steering Committee...

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Topical issues of interagency cooperation discussed by stakeholders

10 November 2023 Yerevan, Armenia

A wide group of relevant state agencies and organisations engaged in a workshop dedicated to interagency and interdisciplinary cooperation of Armenia's Probation Service with other stakeholders aimed at boosting collaboration and knowledge exchange. The event, held on 10 November 2023 in Yerevan,...

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Penitentiary and probation staff gain knowledge on revised Risk and Needs Assessment Tool before piloting

8 to 10 November 2023 Tsaghkadzor, Armenia

In a notable step forward within the "Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia" project, probation and penitentiary officers participated in a joint, intensive skill-based training on the revised Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tool from 8 to 10 November 2023 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. The...

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Brainstorming on improving performance evaluation of probation staff in Armenia

2 November 2023 Armenia

A Working Group meeting to discuss a transformation of the evaluation system for probation staff was held online on 26 October 2023. This event was attended by 10 individuals, including Armenia's Probation Service senior officials and local and international consultants, and was designed as a...

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A workshop on cooperation between Probation service and its partners on resocialisation and e-monitoring of probation beneficiaries

9-10 June 2023 Tsaghkadzor, Armenia

On 9-10 June 2023, a multiagency workshop took place in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia on the topic of cooperation between the Probation Service and other stakeholders such as courts, other state institutions, local government bodies, civil society organisations in the field of resocialisation of probation...

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Workshop on validating and improving Armenian Risk and Needs Assessment tool

31.05.2023 Armenia

On 23 May 2023, representatives of the Council of Europe office, Ministry of Justice and Probation and Penitentiary services discussed the findings of the study on validating and improving Armenian Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tool developed by the Council of Europe (CoE). The purpose of the...

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Starting two new continuation Projects ‘’Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia”

15 March 2023 Yerevan, Armenia

The first joint Steering Committee (SC) Meeting of the Projects “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” was held on 15 March 2023 to mark the beginning of these two Projects and agree on Plans of Action During the...

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