Promotion of and putting into practice of the Law on probation the elaboration of a concrete mechanism of interaction between all types of probation (prior sentence, sentence, in penitentiary community and post-penitentiary) in order to operate on data gathered regarding the probation subjects and other aspects the implementation of the Law on probation were topics of Parliamentary Advocate, Aurelia’s Grigoriu discussion during the meeting with Vladimir Popa, Head of the Central Office of Probation of the Ministry of Justice, the Deputy Chief of the Office Sergiu Margarint and AlionaGîrbu, representative of the Office.
The Ombudsman noted that probation, being a relatively new part of a justice system has an important role that cannot be underestimated especially in relation with the chance of social reintegration for probation subjects. In this regard ombudsman sees as main organization of a collaboration between the probation service and related law institutions, social services from penitentiary institutions and local public authorities, labour market employment agencies, with directions for evidence and documentation of population, public organizations that working in this field.
This and other recommendations were made by the parliamentary Advocate in thematic Report"Generalization and the study on the implementation of the Law on Probation in the Republic of Moldova”(prior-sentence, sentence, in penitentiary community and post-penitentiary) " The text of the Report".
The current situation of the probation officers was discussed by Vladimir Popa, head of the Central Office of Probation of the Ministry of Justice, who mentioned that more and more probation offices (Ungheni Briceni Stefan Voda) obtained separate offices from courts or other organs (situation reported in a previous report of the Ombudsman recommending to provide for probation offices separate space from other institutions). Also appear concrete solutions for the Ombudsman's recommendation regarding the creation of separate child-friendly areas in the probation offices.
Regarding another parliamentary advocate’s recommendation on the employment of psychologists in the probation offices, V. Popa noted that currently there is a plan for hiring qualified specialists in this field and in the probation offices starting with 2013 they being employed under contract basis, so from 2014 psychologists units will be provided in each probation institution.
Ombudsman stressed the need to organize within the National Institute of Justice, Police Academy, and Academy of Public Administration for judges of special courses for prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, local government employees, social workers, regarding the law on probation and its implementation as well for probation counselors - organizing of seminars, conferences aiming to exchange experience with probation services in European countries.
Vladimir Popa informed the Parliamentary advocate about the modalities of training, organization of training courses in collaboration with NIJ and international conference in the field of probation scheduled for June 2013.
