Guide launched for probation counselors

Probation counselors have a new guidebook compiled by national and foreign experts, which, according to the authors, will help to improve the service of probation and enhance the quality of the councilors' work. Hans-Gunnar Stey, a co-author and a probation expert from the Norwegian Mission of Rule of Law Advisers to Moldova (NORLAM), stated at the launch ceremony that the manual is a practical guideline for everyday work. “In most countries imprisonment has been a drastic punishment, which has a severe impact on the offender. Imprisonment should be imposed only when it's strictly necessary. For those types of offenses which are not necessarily punishable by incarceration the service of probation is very important”. Stey noted that in recent years most European countries transferred a significant part of the total punishments from the penitentiary system to the probation system. “To ensure that the punishments in the probation system are real alternatives to imprisonment, it is key that they are professionally guided. This guidebook aims to make this activity more efficient”. Vladimir Popa, one of the Moldovan co-authors, said that probation aims to be a social and educative punishment. Probation may be applied only to certain people who are safe to be left at large and who are able to change their behavior. “This guidebook offers answers to different questions. It provides stage-by-stage guidelines on the work of a probation councilor”. Deputy Justice Minister Vladimir Grosu stated that Moldova needs such a guidebook, considering that probation is a relatively new activity, and it is important that both freshly employed and more experienced probation counselors can have a guide to refer to in uncertain situations. Efforts to introduce the institution of probation in Moldova were started in 2003. A Probation Law was adopted in 2008.