Evaluation report on the “Prospects for Reform of Penitentiary System in the RA. Establishment of the Probation Service in Armenia,” summarizes the proposals and capabilities, which will allow addressing the risks so that its effects will not affect the entire system of justice.
Ambassador Andrey Sorokin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, mentioned that the probation service will enable the transition from the punitive system to restorative justice, “It will reduce the rate of recidivism and ensure awareness of the offenders about the impact of the crime on the victims as well as on public at large. This Service will strive to achieve two interrelated objectives, rehabilitation of offenders and the community safety.”
Ms Hasmik Harutyunyan, Expert on Legal Issues of the “Protection of Rights without Borders” NGO represented the report and spoke about the institutional structure of the service. “In fact it is intended that an independent and separate body from the penitentiary service will be established. However the issues of possible intersection of the authorities and functions of structures operating within the probation and penitentiary services, as well as of their separation are not yet decided. There is no specific answer about the functions which probation service will carry out; neither there is clarity about the functions of penitentiary service.”
Another non regulated sphere according to the expert is the goals and objectives of the probation service that were foreseen in the concept.
In addition Hasmik Harutyunyan referred to the human resources issues, and the legislative regulations. She spoke about the electronic monitoring and noted that the conceptual solutions were not so effective.
Mr. Hovhannes Manukyan, the RA Minister of Justice, Ms Haykuhi Harutyunyan, President of the “Protection of Rights without Borders” NGO, Mr. Norayr Balayan, Head of Organizational-Legal Department of the RA Ministry of Justice, and Mr. Hayk Khemchyan, “Support to the Creation of the Probation Service in Armenia” project Manager, spoke at the discussion as well.
The Report was prepared by the “Protection of Rights without Borders” NGO. The research was based on the concept of the establishment of the Probation Service in the RA and the current reforms of the criminal legislation.
