PROBATION SERVICE IN REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Jana Špero, Head of the Sector for ProbationMinistry of Justice of the RoC

The Probation Service in the Republic of Croatia is a new service

Croatian Criminal Justice System was engaged in a series of reforms within the Republic of Croatia Accession to the European Union (Croatia is a member of EU since 1st July 2013 )

The judicial reform carried out has provided a strong support to the development of the Probation System in Republic of Croatia

Croatian Probation Service was set up as an administrative organization under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Directorate for Criminal Law and Probation

SECTOR FOR PROBATION

Croatia

All the tasks within the scope of the Sector for Probation are conducted in the Central Office and 12 Probation Offices:

ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION

As regards juvenile offenders, the Republic of Croatia has a long history of conducting measures similar to probation measures

Regarding adult offenders, in 1999, the RoC started implementing protective supervision and community work (a special law was adopted)- the system was established under the Prison system directorate by engaging “commissioners”

The increase of “alternative sanctions and measures”- as a way of reducing the costs of the criminal justice system – first Law on Probation adopted in 2009.

Probation tasks in Republic of CroatiaLaw on probation

(entered into force 01/01/2013)

Pre-trial Criminal trial

Enforcement of “alternative sanctions”

Enforcement of sanction

Supervision of fulfilling obligations arising from the Decisions issued by the State Attorney (when deciding on criminal proceedings in accordance with the principle of opportunity)

Pre-sentence reports to the Court

Protective supervision ordered with:

-Suspended sentence

-Community work

Protective supervision ordered with:

-conditional release

-upon the end of the prison sentence

Reports to the Prosecutor (State Attorney)

Community service:-acquiring consent for replacing a prison sentence with community work- organization of the community work-supervision of the community work

Reports for prisons or penitentiaries

Reports required for deciding on the measures of supervision and protection during pre- trial

(CW:1d=2h)Reports for courts when deciding on the termination of sentence and conditional release

Statistics:

3059

act

ive c

ase

s(

Septe

mber

2014.)

CONDITIONAL RELEASE 742

COMMUNITY WORK2008

SUSPENDED SENTENCE WITH SUPERVISION

206

Probation Service was in 2014 engaged in flood

damage recovery

Community work – the most common “alternative

sanction”

flooding in the Eastern part of Croatia in 2014

Sava River reached record highs, rupturing river embankments, several thousand residents needed to be evacuated from the flooded areas

the Probation Service saw the chance for offenders on probation to provide the best possible “community service”

Probation&flood

all Probation Offices were ordered to urgently provide reports on the number of offenders who were sentenced to community service and who meet the criteria to be employed in the recovery of the flooded areas

The Probation Service had close cooperation with:

the National Protection and Rescue Directorate,

local authorities, Red Cross, Caritas, Military, police forces, firefighters other authorities involved in the recovery.

Probation&flood

During this difficult period, the Probation Service seized the opportunity for its contribution in two different ways:

by identifying and sending as many probationers as possible to the flooded areas to provide immediate assistance in recovering damages

by instructing all available probationers to report to those legal entities which collected humanitarian aid

Probation&flood

Within 24 hours a group of 30 probationers was put together

They were situated at the Volunteer Camp in the affected area.

They provided much needed assistance by:

clearing roadways, yards removing decayed carcasses pumping the water out of residences, cellars and other similar necessary work

Besides help on-site, they also unloaded and sorted out humanitarian aid and maintained the camp grounds

Probation&flood

Due to the specificity of the tasks (extremely challenging conditions and complex group dynamics) the probation officers conducted daily motivational conversations with the probationers in the field with the aim to provide for the best continuing performance.

Probation&flood

physicians who are involved in the Probation Service were also engaged and tasked with visiting and giving their support to the evacuated population

Probation&flood

The probation officers regularly participated in the work of the local crisis staff

Offenders on probation, continuously performed their work from 30 May until the closing of the Volunteer Camp on 23 June, completing over 11000 hours of community service

Probation&flood

Office Manager of the Probation office Osijek

 

Looking forward to future cooperation

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of CroatiaDirectorate for Criminal law and ProbationSector for ProbationUlica grada Vukovara 4910 000 ZagrebCROATIAtel: +385 1 37 14 234fax: +385 1 37 14 299e-mail: probacija@pravosudje.hr e-mail: jana.spero@pravosudje.hr