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State Probation Service

Chief:

Aleksandrs Dementjevs

About us

The Probation Service is the state institution responsible for public safety, and it works with offenders serving their community sanctions (suspended sentence, community work service) and helps the former prisoners to reintegrate in society.

The Probation Service is designed to promote the elimination of crime in the State, to ensure qualitative enforcement and coordination of community sanctions and to facilitate the work of other law enforcement authorities.

Establishing of the State Probation Agency evidences the fact that penal system in our country does not have the nature of revenge; that offender is not expelled from society, and that the State undertakes responsibility for the members of its society.

The State Probation Service is a step towards the implementation of a new criminal penalty system, since its goal is not only isolation of an offender from society but also establishing a system of penalties both with and without isolation from society.

Introduction of probation institutions in Latvia means continuation of criminal penalty enforcement reform commenced upon the regaining of independence with expanded prison reform, abrogation of death penalty and introduction of up-to-date norms for enforcement of penalties.

At present, formation of the State Probation Agency is completed and it constitutes an authority reporting to the Ministry of Justice and operating by the virtue of the Law on State Probation Agency passed by the Saeima on 18 December 2003 effective from 1 January 2004, and the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No 558 of 7 October 2003 Regulations for the Management of State Probation Agency.

Organization of probation system differs from State to State, however its goals and tools of implementation are similar. In Latvia, the probation system is formed on the basis of practice of other States and recommendation of experts: it is flexible and intended for broad application in future.

The probation system is planned gradually, given its large volume, by gradual undertaking and performing new functions to cover the entire territory of Latvia by 2007. The establishing of State Probation Agency in Latvia would increase the efficiency of sentencing and efficient enforcement of criminal penalties.

The work of the Probation Service is managed by the Manager (Aleksandrs Dementjevs) and two Deputy Managers: Deputy Manager on Post-Penitenciar Aid (Irina Pūrīte) and Deputy Manager on Community Sanctions (Liene Zeibote).

Management of the SPS is arranged according to the principle: headquarters located in Riga, with local probation offices corresponding to the jurisdiction of city (district) courts. At present, 28 offices and 2 branches ar formed. Unitrs are operating in Tukums, Saldus, Bauska, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, Rēzekne, Daugavpils, Valmiera, Cēsis and Riga. The other structural units shall start operating in 2005.

Functions of the State Probation Agency:

• to supervise persons sentenced to suspended penalties and released from imprisonment facilities ahead of schedule;
• to supervise during probation period the persons in respect of whom criminal proceedings have been terminated through suspended release from criminal liability;
• to coordinate the enforcement of community work service as a criminal penalty;
• to supervise the fulfillment of decisions related to social work of juveniles;
• to present pre-sentence report in respect of the probation client;
• to prepare persons, in cooperation with imprisonment facilities, for release from imprisonment penalties;
• to provide aftercare to persons released from imprisonment facilities;
• to organize the establishing of social behavior correction program;
  
• to provide to both the victim and the probation client the opportunity to pursue reconciliation through the mediator.