Croatian probation officers attend professional training in the Netherlands

From 7 to 11 November 2022, Croatian probation officers and probation officers from Norway participated in a job shadowing programme in the Netherlands, in Maastricht and Groningen probation offices.

It is an activity carried out under the project "Strengthening human rights protection and public safety by improving the capacities of the Croatian probation service", implemented by the Directorate for Prison System and Probation, and financed under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021.  
On this occasion, two probation officers from Croatia and two probation officers from Norway had the opportunity to get acquainted with the work of the probation service in the south of the Netherlands, in Maastricht, and four officers from Croatia in the northern part of the Netherlands, in Groningen.  They were presented with the structure and organisation of the probation service, working conditions, legislative framework and tasks performed by probation officers, with an emphasis on the mission of the probation service, which is to create a safer society. 
Croatian officers had the opportunity to learn about the procedures involving Dutch probation officers, from the commission of criminal offences to the delivery of verdicts and the execution of sanctions. For this purpose, they participated in meetings where decisions were taken multidisciplinarily in out-of-court proceedings, they were introduced to the tasks of advising judges and prosecutors during court proceedings and the manner of working with convicts upon delivery of a judgement when it comes to alternative sanctions. Through presentations and field visits of legal entities and convicts at work, the officers got an insight into the area of community service.  
During their stay, the probation officers had the opportunity to visit a closed prison and to learn about the role of the probation officer during the execution of a prison sentence.
Given the long tradition of the Dutch Probation Service, which is about to mark 200 years of existence, such cooperation provides the opportunity to learn and pass on valuable insights and examples of good practice for the purpose of improving the probation service in Croatia.