How to Evaluate Probation? HEALTH - A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT

Abstract

This paper was presented at a conference organized by Conférence Permanente Européenne de la Probation (CEP) together with the Ministry of Justice of Estonia which took place in Tallinn, on September 27th-29th this year. The title of this conference was 'Unity and Diversity in probation.' This was the reason and the angle of this article: to propose a matrix for the assessment of probation which is relevant to most of the EU countries. The model starts with an assessment focusing on the mission statement. According to these criteria, EU countries could be divided into four main categories: probation services based on promoting alternatives to incarceration model, probation services based on the model of assisting the courts in giving the best sentences, probation services based on the rehabilitation model, probation services based on the public protection model. Evaluating probation services according to these criteria has its strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are presented in this paper