Georgia: The Ministry of Justice has launched an innovative orientation course project for probationers. The name of the course is Probation Officer Orientation Course.
The Probation Officer Orientation Course is a new, innovative rehabilitation opportunity for the Crime Prevention, Imprisonment, and the National Probation Agency. It serves to prevent repetitive crime and strengthen the role of probation officers in the process.
The program recognizes probation officers’ growing role in crime prevention. It also provides low-risk probation officers with the opportunity to take an orientation course and then be compensated by probation officers themselves. In addition, the successful completion of the program will be one of the positive factors in the decision-making process regarding the abolition of parole and the easing of the regime.
The course covers thematic areas such as developing psychosocial skills, promoting literacy and employment, legal issues and women in the justice system.
Within the course, beneficiaries will receive important information:
- About labour rights and social assistance systems;
- Regulating the emotional state;
- Effective communication and conflict situation management;
- Overcoming the unacceptable and stigma towards the different;
- Promoting physical and mental health and identifying unhealthy behaviours and habits;
- Also, through the proficiency program, students will learn the peculiarities of several professions.
Probation officers nationwide were selected to conduct the pilot course.
Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze opened the orientation course for probationers. Lado Kheladze, head of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Imprisonment and Probation, addressed the participants of the event.
Deputy Minister of Justice Buba Lomuashvili awarded probation officers who successfully underwent trainer training and wished them success in their future work. The first probation officers in Georgia to conduct a pilot course will help spread the same process.
A probationer orientation course is conducted by agency specialists, with the participation of an expert, supported by the USA International Anti-narcotics and law enforcement agencies (INL), and carried out together with the Justice Training Center.
The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Justice, Heads of CISs, Advisor to the Prime Minister Niko Tatulashvili, Deputy Prosecutor General Natia Merebashvili and Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia Tamar Makharashvili.
