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

In a significant step forward for the criminal justice reform of Armenia, the Council of Europe has achieved remarkable milestones in reinforcing Armenia's probation services over 2023-2024. This among others included the support in the process of putting in place newly introduced alternative measures to detention.

Through this initiative, the criminal justice system of Armenia has been progressively enhanced, with a focus on modernising the probation services, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and advancing the use of alternative restraint measures and sanctions. These achievements form a solid foundation for sustainable rehabilitation practices and enhancing public safety in Armenia.

Among the key accomplishments of the project “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” is the introduction of comprehensive guidelines for the use of alternative restraint measures, such as house arrest and administrative supervision, as well as sanctions like the restriction of liberty. These guidelines, carefully developed to align with national legislation, provide clear, practical instructions to probation officers as they manage new competencies of the Probation Service of Armenia.

In addition to the guidelines, the project designed a specialised training module for multidisciplinary groups to equip them with the skills needed to apply alternative measures effectively, promoting a uniform understanding of the roles among the justice system stakeholders.

Apart from this, 16 probation staff members were trained as trainers. These trainers, armed with new knowledge and skills, took the lead in conducting two training seminars in collaboration with a Council of Europe national consultant. These seminars reached 40 staff members of the Probation Service, enhancing their practical knowledge of alternative measures, and fostering collaborative problem-solving using real-world cases. A post-training evaluation revealed a substantial improvement in the participants’ understanding of alternative sanctions, underscoring the positive impact of these trainings on probation practices.

These initiatives, funded under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026, underscore the Council’s commitment to build a robust, cooperative framework within the criminal justice system of Armenia. By fostering dialogue, developing tools for practical application, and bolstering institutional capabilities, this project paves the way for a more effective and humane approach to justice in Armenia, one that prioritizes both community safety and the rehabilitation of probationers.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA 27 NOVEMBER 2024
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 Start date: 1 January 2023

 Duration: 24 months

 Funding: EUR 500,000, onors contributing to the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023–2026 

 Leaflet of the project

Partners: Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, Probation Service

Built 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 assisted national authorities in facilitating the use of probation services in the country, thus enhancing community safety and the fair administration of justice.

It was 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 accomplished the following outcomes:

  • The knowledge and skills of probation officers on probation methods, risks and needs assessment tool and rehabilitation programmes were 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 was enhanced;
  • The accessibility by offenders to effective rehabilitation/resocialisation programmes was enhanced;
  • E-probation system was 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).

Reference documents