About 16,000 Moldovans who committed offenses annually escape imprisonment due to the probation or community service. Though the probation service is relatively new in Moldova, being used since 2006, it contributed to diminishing the number of jail sentences, Deputy Minister of Justice Vladimir Grosu said in the first International Conference on Community Sentences in Central and Eastern Europe that is held in Chisinau, IPN reports.
The probation service consultants intervene in the trials to promote alternatives to detention. They take part in the implementation of court decisions and draw up reports with proposals to put the convict on probation, providing social assistance and counseling to victims and offenders. The probation officers monitor how the persons on probation fulfill the obligations imposed by the court.
The deputy minister said this conference is a training mechanism for probation service employees, who can learn from the good practice of their colleagues from other countries. This experience can later be used to draft a legislative initiative to reform the area.
Professor in community and criminal justice Rob Canton said the penalties are aimed at reducing crime, but the human aspect of the offenders should not be neglected. The Council of Europe set standards guaranteeing the offenders’ right to respect for private and family life. Probation enables to partially respect these rights. The Council of Europe says detention should be the last measure, while the punishment should be chosen depending on the committed offense. It is recommended starting with community sentences and then switching over to detention, if they do not have an effect.
Marc Ceron, President of the Confederation of European Probation, said the first conference of the kind centers on community penalties and the dangers they pose. The conference held in Chisinau is not the last in this region. More such platforms for experience exchange will be staged.
The International Conference on Community Sentences in Central and Eastern Europe is held on June 5-6.
