On 10 December, the final Working Group meeting for 2025 with representatives of the Probation Service, the Penitentiary Service and the Ministry of Justice was held. The aim of the meeting was to present and discuss a new draft template and guidelines for pre-release reports. The new evidence-based pre-release report framework is an essential tool designed to endorse conditional-release decisions. The initiative marks a significant improvement in reinforcing rehabilitation-focused justice and supporting a safer reintegration of individuals returning to the community.
The development of the new template and guidelines followed a comprehensive needs assessment carried out between July and September 2025 by the Council of Europe. During the assessment of the existing old templates and practice the major needs and gaps were identified.
As a result, the assessment was translated into action based on the European best practices, and fully revised pre-release report template and practical guidelines were developed. A clearer, more comprehensive, and standardised approach was adopted. The new template covers key areas including behaviour during imprisonment, criminogenic factors, dynamic and static risk indicators, protective factors, victim-related considerations, reintegration prospects, and an overall assessment of suitability for conditional release. It also streamlines reporting procedures and strengthens cooperation between probation and penitentiary services.
Participants welcomed the improvements and highlighted the enhanced clarity and consistency the framework brings to their work. They also noted the value of the newly developed guidelines, describing them as a highly refined and practical document that will support more consistent professional practice. One of the participants noted: “This updated template gives us a far more reasoned and judgment-based tool. It not only helps us structure our assessments in a transparent and professional way, but together with the new guidelines, it provides courts with clearer and more reliable information for making conditional early-release decisions. We sincerely appreciate the Council of Europe’s support in helping us advance our practice.”
As a result of this productive discussion the participants agreed on piloting and institutional adoption of the template.
The activity was organised under the auspice of the Council of Europe Project “Further Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” financed and implemented through the Council of Europe Action Plan Armenia (2023 – 2026).