International legal basis of probation service activity

The author has studied the main provisions of international legal documents on punishments and measures not related to deprivation of liberty in terms of the regulation of the legal status and activities of probation services for the execution of punishments and measures without isolating the convict from society. The problems of recruitment for probation departments as well as professional training and promotion of probation officers have also been analysed. According to international documents, probation services should be provided with all the necessary resources, interact with public or private organisations and local governments, undergo public inspections and monitoring, and their employees must meet the highest national and international ethical and professional standards. Nowadays, probation services and their employees do not have to meet all of the listed requirements. The author brings up proposals on development and normative consolidation of the legal status of probation officers, their selection and placement, as well as retraining and advanced training. The author reaffirms the existing opinion on the need to increase the number of probation services, which should be calculated not only according to the average number of convicts, but also considering employees’ labour intensity. The paper also substantiates the necessity to revive close interaction of the probation services with the public, including public inspections.

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