PROBATION – RESOCIALIZATION AND REINTEGRATION OF PERPETRATORS IN THE COMMUNITY!
Probation is the conditional and supervised freedom of the perpetrator of a criminal act, during which probation officers carry out procedures aimed at reducing the risk of re-offending by the perpetrator. Probation jobs are of particular interest to the community and society as a whole and are carried out with the aim of protecting the community from the perpetrator of the crime, his resocialization and integration into the community by influencing the risk factors associated with the commission of criminal offences. (Law on Probation, Official Gazette 99/18).
If we go back in time, we should highlight the first Law on Probation, which was adopted in Croatia in 2009, and the first probation offices and professional probation officers in Croatia started their work in June 2011. Namely, the same is a consequence of the establishment of the probation system in the Republic of Croatia as part of the activities of accession to the European Union, development of the rule of law, strengthening of human rights and judicial reform.
The probation service does not impose or change the imposed measures, obligations and sanctions, but only executes them on the basis of final judgments or decisions of the state attorney, court or execution judge.
Other services and organizations in the community, such as the police, regional offices of the Institute for Social Work, institutions dealing with addiction treatment or various non-governmental organizations may be involved in the activities of carrying out work for the common good.
This is exactly how the Civil Rights Project Sisak concluded a Community Service Agreement on April 28, 2015 in Sisak with the Ministry of Justice, the Administration for Probation and Support for Victims and Witnesses, the Probation Office in Sisak, on the basis of which persons involved in probation will be able to perform their work for the common good in the association. This contract enables people from the area of Sisak and the surrounding area to compensate their punishment for crimes committed, in accordance with the law, with work for the common good.
As a confirmation of the successful five-year work in the probation system, a letter of thanks from the probation service of the Ministry of Justice and the administration of the Republic of Croatia for cooperation in 2019 followed, and the association proved that good results can be achieved through cooperation.
To date, 10 persons (8 men and 2 women) have done work for the common good in the association. In accordance with the decisions of the Probation Office in Sisak, as well as certain working hours and time period, community service executors perform administrative tasks in the association (carrying mail, photocopying letters, archiving files and documents, etc.), up to helping with cleaning the office, arranging promotional window and the like.
When expressing the satisfaction of “our” workers for the common good in the association, their protection and confidentiality of personal data is guaranteed in accordance with the Law.
T.M. – a person who is included in the probation program in the association from 2022 points out that the community service institute enabled him to continue to lead a normal life, despite the conviction for a minor crime, and gave him a way to serve his sentence in a socially useful way, as a member of society in the process of resocialization. He emphasizes that the work he does in the association is not difficult at all, on the contrary, he says that he is refining himself with some new knowledge and skills.
Very similar statements are made by other persons involved in the probation work for the common good in the association, satisfied that they are involved in the activities of the association and useful to the community in which they live.
In Sisak, February 8, 2024
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