Mentality should change prior to introduction of probation system

Experts and members of a working group consider stereotypical mentality as the major problem related to the introduction of the Probation Service in Armenia. The mentality in society and among employees of this system should change so that a probation system in line with European standards will function efficiently in the country.

According to Hayk Khemchyan, the project’s head, member of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, it is planned to launch in April a retraining course for the staff of the pilot stage of the Probation Service.

The personnel of the pilot stage’s structures to be set up in two Armenian provinces will consist mostly of employees of the units for enforcement of alternative punishments.   

“We will try to involve other specialists as well, including social workers and psychologists,” Hayk Khemchyan said. 

“The unit for enforcement of alternative punishments – regardless of how well it performs its functions -  differs greatly from a probation system, although a difference in mentality is obvious,” the head of the unit for enforcement of alternative punishments Levon Avetisyan said.  In his words, there is already a difference between the mentality of employees of their unit and that of employees of penitentiary institutions because these people do not act according to the internal regulations applied in a penal institution, roughly speaking, the regulations of a restricted area, a guarded area. “This already means a free zone and a gradual transition to the innovation. The advantage of these employees is their work experience with convicts, but the functions will differ sharply,” he added.

Deputy Minister of Justice Suren Krmoyan also underlined the need to change the mentality.

“To tell the truth, we also have a hard time. For example, a relative of a murderer comes and asks us why his relative is not released on parole. When you familiarize yourself with the case, in which a man committed murder of several people, it is psychologically hard to accept that such a person may be released,” S. Krmoyan noted.

Levon Avetisyan for his part indicated the problem of choosing a measure of restraint. “The logic is as follows: when detention is chosen as measure of restraint, later imprisonment is inflicted as punishment. Following the introduction of the institution of electronic monitoring in Armenia, we may achieve a decline in the great number of inmates in penal institutions” he said.

The deputy justice minister expressed an opinion that mentality can be changed through employee training programs, including programs to be implemented with partner states abroad.

Those who made speeches shared the view that legislative reforms are the only condition to change the mentality. As was reported, a full package of legislative initiatives will be introduced in mid-March. The package then will be submitted to the Armenian government and later to the parliament for consideration.