Developments in Lithuania

Regimantas Mikaliūnas2014-06-05

The Prison Department – is the institution under the Ministry of Justice.

The mission is a systematic supervision of the Probation Service and the control of penitentiary institutions. 

The aims of the Prison Department is to participate in the process of the sentence administration and the formation of the policy of the probation, in order to coordinate and control the appropriate and equal sentence administration (except for fines), such as punitive measures (except for the attainder and the deposits for the fund for the aggrieved against crime), educational measures (except for the handover to a special educational institution), and the detention measure, i.e. arrest in the institutions under the Prison Department, without prejudice to personal liberty.

 

The Prison Department administers an equal methodical regulation.

Cooperation More natural and non-formal communication and the

division of experience between penitentiary institutions.

The equal methodology of the risk evaluation of re-offending (OASY).

Probation officers participate in Conditional release committees.

The move of the officers is simpler and the opportunity of the career is warrant.

The Advantages

The Coordinational Council of Probation The Director of the Prison Department

The Deputy of the Director

Šiauliai Regional Probation Service

Panevėžys Regional Probation Service

Vilnius Regional Probation Service

Kaunas Regional Probation Service

Klaipėda Regional Probation Service

The Scheme of the Probation System in Lithuania

State officers work in the Probation Service in Lithuania. The status provides them not only some privileges but duties as well. The officers at work use authoritative commissions on the persons who are not subordinate:

test alcohol (use alcohol testers) or drug intoxication (use urine tests);

can impose an electronic monitoring for a particular period of time when a client is forbidden to leave his/her home (according to client‘s personal characteristics and other circumstances);

The Status of the Officers

the balance of the re-socialisation of the client under probation supervision and the security of the society;

the individualisation of the probation measures; respect to personal liberty, minimal intervention and

proportion; cooperation, the stimulation to become volunteers. The

activities - social consultations, law consultations; sessions “Work search and self-presentation for an employer”,sessions “Financial management”, individual cases.

participation in the events organised by the Probation Service;

the realisation of restorative justice;

The Probation Statement (July 1, 2012) created more functions for the officers and assumptions for more qualitative work. The Probation is based on these principles: 

the administration of the measures including the reduction of risk and the elimination of criminal factors;

individual and group work with the client under supervision in order to motivate and stimulate his/her abilities to live without committing crime and the client’s social integration;

the meeting of the client‘s spiritual and social demands;

social help to solve the client‘s personal and social problems;

The Forms of Re-socialization

the development of social abilities; the realisation of the programs on the correction

of behaviour; individual and group psychotherapy; psychological help; the realisation of restorative measures in order to

reconcile the victim and the client under probation supervision and compensate the interest.

 

The Forms of Re-socialization

The program on the correction of behaviour (Behaviour - Dialogue - Change) (56 officers were instructed) in 2013, 1680 people participated in the program, 1589 (71,3%) of them participated till the end of the program. „One to one“ (11 officers were instructed), 102 people participated in the program, 65 (63,7%) of them participated till the end of the program. Equip (for juveniles) (14 officers were instructed) 92 people participated in the program, 73 (79, 3%) of them participated till the end of the program. The ones who participated in „One to one“ and Equip committed no criminal work afterwards.

The Measures Used by the Probation Service

The measures of electronic monitoring; The equal methodology of the risk

evaluation of re-offending (OASY)

The Measures Used by the Probation Service

the methodology of the risk evaluation of juvenile reoffending;

the program of intervention for violence at home;

The Measures are being Implanted or is Planned to be Implanted:

Community service up to 240 hrs for criminal offence and up to 480 hrs for a crime committed;  

Restriction of freedom for the period from 3 months to 2 years; Suspension of sentence for the period up to 3 years with

imposed obligations;  Conditional release; Conditional release with application of electronic monitoring

(intense supervision); Punitive measures (to participate in the programs on the

correction of behaviour, 20-100 hrs unpaid work, compensate the interest etc.)

Educational measures are administered for juveniles (to stay at home at a particular time, study, to work 20-100hrs unpaid work, to have a treatment etc.)

Sentences and Other Punitive Measures

To work, study or register in the jobcentre; To compensate the interest; Work up to 20-100 unpaid work; Do not socialize with particular people or

groups of people; Not to use drugs; Not to visit particular places; To undergo a treatment course for drugs;

Obligations for the Clients under Probation Supervision

To participate in the programs on the correction of violent or problematic behaviour;

To stay at home at a particular time; Not to visit particular places and not to

socialize with particular people;  Not to leave the territory of residence

(town, district) without the permission of the probation institution.

Obligations for the Clients under Probation Supervision

Probation Service (2013)

21622 clients

Penitentiary Institutions

(2013)18007 clients

The Number of the Clients under Probation Service and in the Penitentiary Institutions

Probation Service (2013)

3 275 362 euros 1 client per day –

1,03 euro

Penitentiary Institutions (2013)

46 289 855 euros1 client per day –

13,82 euro

Expense

3793 staff work in the system of punishment administration.

255 staff works in the probation service:~ 37 administration staff; 

  ~ 6 psychologists;~ others - 12 the probation officers who work with the clients under the probation supervision;

Higher non-university education, preferably on social sciences, is mandatory for the probation officers.

 

Staff

71% of staff are women and 29% - men in the probation service;

The experience in the Probation service:◦ 17 % up to 3 years;◦ 45% from3 up to 10 years;◦ 24% from 10 up to 15 years;◦ 14% more than 15 years (according to the

information, one can notice that 45% and 38% of the officers are experienced and very experienced officers)

The Data Analysis on the Probation Service Staff Fulfilled by The Prison Department in 2013

Higher university education: 76% of the officers in social sciences, 2,5% - humane studies, 11% - others;

Higher non-university education: 9% of the officers in social sciences, 0% - humane studies, 1, 5 % - others.

Staff Distribution According to Education

One probation officer supervises about 43, 3 clients under probation supervision.

  This number depends on the territory or

other circumstances and may rise up to 50-80 clients under probation supervision.

Caseload per 1 Probation Officer

Makes the conclusions on the social research; Assesses the risk of repeating criminality; Plans the supervision and realizes it; Meets the clients in the probation office or at

their homes (In 2013 the probation officers visited the clients under probation supervision in their homes for 34007 times)

Communicates with the client‘s family members, relatives, victims;

Motivates the client for positive social changes and supports the client‘s motivation;

Officer‘s Functions

Meets and contacts social partners; Applies to the court; Supervises the fulfilment of court obligations; Controls the use of alcohol and drugs; Administers the programs on the correction of

behaviour; Reports statistic and other activities; Makes the conclusions of the social research on

the potential use of Intense Supervision; Participates in the committee of conditional

release.

Officer‘s Functions

2011 2012 2013

18641 20624 21622

2064 1916 1741

The Number of the Clients under the Probation Supervision in 2011-2013

The Number of the Clients under the Probation Supervision in 2011-2013 (according to sex)

2011 2012 20130

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

1672218439 19388

1919 21852234

The target index in 2013 – 50 % of the clients under probation supervision who completed the programs on the correction of behaviour.

The index obtained – 71, 4 % of the clients under probation supervision who completed the programs on the correction of behaviour (the target index is obtained)

In 2013, 2227 former clients under the probation supervision participated in the programs on the correction of behaviour (the target index is obtained) (in 2012 – 1920), even 1680 of them participated in the programs on the correction of violent behaviour. The number of these clients increased 14 %.

The Number of the Clients under Probation Supervision who have Completed the Programs on the Correction of Behaviour

In 2013, intense supervision was imposed on 83 persons. It was extended for 10 persons.

Intense Supervision has been imposed on 107 persons since July 1, 2013 (The Probation Law)

Electronic monitoring has been imposed on 34 persons to control the prohibition to leave home at a particular time (exceptions for work and study)

Conditional Release with Application of Electronic Monitoring (Intense Supervision)

In 2012, 974 clients(11,3%) under probation supervision who avoid to serve the sentence.

In 2013, 1146 clients(12,7%) under probation supervision who avoid to serve the sentence.

The Number of Persons who Avoid to Serve the Sentence

In 2013 3320 (37,1%) of the clients under Probation Supervision worked and 1163 (13%) of them studied, 2713 (30,3%) participated in the programs organized by jobcentres.

The index obtained- 50 % (target index 48%).

The Number of the Clients under Probation Supervision who Work or Study

In 2013, target index – 90 % of the juveniles under probation supervision who study.

The index obtained – 93,6 % of the juveniles under probation supervision who study (the target index is obtained).

The Number of the Juveniles under Probation Supervision who Study

In 2013, the clients under probation service compensated the interest of 925219 euros.

The target index in 2013 – 56% of the client sunder probation supervision compensated the interest.

The index obtained – 61,6 % of the client sunder probation supervision compensated the interest. (the target index is obtained)

The Compensation of the Interest