Support the scaling-up of the probation service in Armenia
The “Support the Scaling-Up of the Probation Service in Armenia” Project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022. It is implemented by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the main partners, namely the Ministry of Justice of Armenia and the State Probation Service.
This 32-months project is a project which aims at assisting the national authorities to fully endorse the concept of probation in practice through providing the necessary legislative, institutional and operational framework that will facilitate the use of probation services in the country, thus enhancing community safety and the fair administration of justice. Changes are envisaged at both the level of perception as well as operating/legislative framework, to ensure compliance with Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the Council of Europe Probation Rules.
To this end, and in line with the principles arising from the Council of Europe’s Recommendation (2010)1 on Probation Rules, support has been provided at the following levels:
- to build a longterm plan ensuring the commitment of Armenian authorities in sustainable manner;
- to increase the scope and areas of work covered by the State Probation Service with the revision and or development of relevant legislation;
- to enhance the skills and knowledge of probation officers;
- to introduce new working tools and working methodologies;
- to secure the cooperation with the judiciary, community and civil society, as well as increase the awareness of wider public.
Namely, in line with the European Probation Rules, it was expected that once fully operational, the Armenian Probation Service will:
- contribute to a fair criminal justice process as well as to public safety by preventing and reducing the occurrence of offences;
- support the criminal proceedings through advisory reports and mediation;
- implement non-custodial sanctions measures in line with the applicable legislation;
- facilitate the re-integration of offenders.
The amount devoted to this project is EUR 871,995.
Its implementation started in October 2019 and ended in December 2022.
Project documentation
- Work plan from October to December 2022
- Work plan from July to September 2022
- Work plan from April to June 2022
- Work plan from January to March 2022
- Work plan from October to December 2021
- Work plan from July to September 2021
- Work plan from April to June 2021
- Work plan from January to March 2021
- Work plan from October to December 2020
- Work plan from July to September 2020
- Work plan from April to June 2020
- Work plan from January to March 2020
Useful information
Advancing criminal justice: exploring alternative measures to detention in Armenia
An event of 27 February 2024 on alternative measures to detention in Yerevan marks a significant step towards addressing pressing issues in the criminal justice system of Armenia. The meeting, which brought together key stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Justice,...
Armenian probation officers continue to expand their knowledge on the role and functions of the Probation service
The series of cascade training sessions planned to reach all probation officers in Armenia continued in Aghveran on 28-29 August and on 13-14 September 2021 in Yerevan. The training was delivered by a group of national trainers trained within the same project and it aims to expand the knowledge...
First monitoring visit on piloting of the revised RNA tool on probation in Armenia
The first monitoring visit to assess the progress at regional level of the risk and needs assessment (RNA) tool was made to the Tavush regional unit of the Probation Service on 8 September 2021. The aim of the visit was to assess the progress in implementing of the revised RNA tool. It was...
Training course for judges and prosecutors on matters related to probation is ready to be launched at the Justice Academy in Armenia
The training course for judges and prosecutors on matters related to probation was presented during an online workshop on 25 August 2021. The course is planned to be launched from September 2021 as a part of the in-service programme for magistrates at the Justice Academy. The course aims to equip...
Working Group Session on Risk and Needs Assessment Tool in Armenia
During the working group meeting on risk and needs assessment tool held online on 10 August 2020 via KUDO platform, some key questions, such as an outline of the revised tool, its sections, methods of scoring, piloting and validation of the revised tool, development of guidelines for probation...
Second Working Group online session on amending the probation legislation in Armenia
The second Working Group (WG) session, on amending the probation legislation was held online on 13th July 2020. As a result, recommendations on the amendments to probation legislation were finalised and submitted to the Ministry of Justice for a first feedback. In parallel, a CoE international...
Launch of Two Projects on Penitentiary and Probation Areas in Armenia
On 11 February, two Council of Europe Projects, on “Enhancing Health Care and Human Rights Protection in Prisons in Armenia” and “Support the scaling-up of the probation service in Armenia”, as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022, were launched, presenting the overall...
Council of Europe Donated Hardware Equipment to the State Probation Service of Armenia
The Council of Europe Yerevan Office donated IT and office equipment to the State Probation Service of Armenia. The donation included 18 monitors, 6 computers. On that occasion Mr Gevorg Simonyan, Head of Probation Service, stated that the Armenian Probation Service highly appreciated the support...