Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia

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.

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Back Second joint Steering Committee Meeting of Armenian projects

Vladislav SPIRLICENCO

Modified 2 Years ago.

Second joint Steering Committee Meeting of Armenian projects

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 Meeting in Yerevan on 6 December 2023, the key project partners reflected on the achieved progress and adopted 6-months’ Work Plans.

To date, notable steps include fostering collaboration among state agencies on probation and penitentiary services, identifying barriers to mediation in Armenian probation, enhancing the rehabilitation portfolio with a programme for probationers facing addiction issues, discussing the introduction of evaluation criteria and monitoring instruments for probation work, and revising data collection methodology for the Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tool.

Other accomplishments encompass facilitating the transfer of the Prison Medicine Centre to the Ministry of Health, enhancing staff capabilities, pioneering the application of a new RNA tool for inmates in Armenian prisons, providing instructions on telemedicine as well as recommendations on resocialisation programmes, and implementing initiatives for self-harm and suicide prevention within prison facilities. Progress has also been made in fostering cooperation within the criminal justice system, exemplified by the launch of the the development of a comprehensive guideline for applying alternative measures to detention, such as house arrest and administrative control.

The Steering Committee will continue ensuring refinement of project plans towards their objectives in a comprehensive and inclusive approach, supporting a shared commitment of project partners to achieving a meaningful and sustainable development in the field of human rights and justice in Armenia.

The Projects are financed within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Armenia 07.12.2023