European Union, UNODC and Partners Discuss Advances on Probation and Criminal Justice Information Management in the Kyrgyz Republic under JUST4ALL Initiative

Achieving a just and safe society relies on a participatory approach by all government and community stakeholders in balancing prevention, intervention, and advocacy. Part of the prevention effort includes the reduction of reoffending through effective rehabilitation and reintegration into society. In achieving this goal, the criminal justice continuum must be integrated, particularly in tracking and exchanging information. The “Support to Justice Sector Reform in the Kyrgyz Republic: Advancing Probation and Criminal Justice Information Management” (JUST4ALL) project aims to achieve these results by strengthening probation and criminal justice information management in line with international standards as well as best European practices.

 

After the first Project Steering Committee in July 2022, where government institutions, ministries, international organizations, and civil society discussed the findings of the inception report of this European Union (EU) co-funded project, on 28 February 2023, the EU, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights held the second Project Steering Committee (PSC) to discuss the advancement of JUST4ALL activities. 

 

H. E. Marilyn Josefson, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasized in her opening remarks that “the importance of probation and information systems cannot be overstated. These tools help to ensure that justice is served, offenders are rehabilitated, and the public is protected. It is no secret that the EU is at the forefront of supporting digital solutions, thanks to its budget support and ongoing engagement on this front.”

At the meeting attended by more than 60 stakeholders, UNODC presented the activities that were implemented between July and December 2022, which includes two white papers on criminal justice information management and sustainable probation services in the Kyrgyz Republic. Ms. Aleksandra Kerna, who developed the white paper on probation, noted several priority actions to succeed in the above focus areas, including the development and introduction of a risk and needs assessment tool (RNA) and probation supervision based on the RNA, development and introduction of social rehabilitation and correctional programs, and rolling out a training program for probation staff. These findings dovetail with the findings of the inception report and informed the development of activities in 2023, which were presented during the meeting.

 

During the discussion, representatives of government agencies, civil society and international missions shared their views on the lessons learned and the impact of the project in 2022, including a planned memorandum of understanding between the Probation Departments of Latvia and the Kyrgyz Republic, a structured training plan between the Probation Department and the National University, effective internal and external monitoring tools, and continued efforts to improve and integrate the information management system. Participants also underlined the efficiency of the PSC platform to raise and discuss key issues and developments within the whole criminal justice system with all actors involved in a transparent and consultative manner.

As participants provided their inputs for the planned activities in 2023, three key outputs were highlighted during the discussion. These outputs are: the development of the Probation Institute Strategy for 2023-2027; the creation of a Probation Coordination Council to enhance joint efforts of all stakeholders engaged in the provision of probation services; and, the launch of the Ministry of Justice Situation Centre as an analytical hub for integration of all probation information systems as these activities serve as a foundation for an effective and sustainable impact of the project. Particularly on the development of the Probation Institute Strategy, UNODC’s International Programme Coordinator, Mr Koen Marquering emphasized the need to take sufficient time and ensure that the strategy captures the need for the probation department, which serves a civil community corrections function, to collaborate with other state bodies at the national and regional level as well as strengthening the cooperation with civil society organisations. Other meeting participants also emphasized the need to continue to learn from international and European best practices, taking into consideration the experience of previously implemented projects in the country and ensuring public security while honouring human rights principles.

 

At the closing, Minister Ayaz Baetov ensured that “within the framework of this project, we will continue to pay attention to the development of the probation system, which plays an important role in the rehabilitation of offenders and the prevention of re-offending. We must work to create an efficient and fair probation system that will facilitate the integration of prisoners into society and ensure their social rehabilitation.”

 

Ms Ashita Mittal, the UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia, further assured the stakeholders that “based on our long-standing engagement in the Kyrgyz Republic, UNODC stands ready to assist the authorities in honouring their commitment to creating a fully functional probation service that can rehabilitate its clients and strike a balance between the maintenance of public order, crime prevention and social reintegration support.”

Overview

JUST4ALL is a four-year, 8,800,000 Euro project co-funded by the European Union (EU) and co-funded and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights. It promotes the humanization of the criminal justice system in the Kyrgyz Republic and is geared towards scaling up the country’s capacity to implement its criminal justice reforms in line with international standards and norms as well as best European practices.

 

The project is divided into two main components addressing two areas of criminal justice reform: probation and criminal justice information management.

The probation component focuses on creating a fully functional probation service that can rehabilitate its clients and aims at striking a balance between the maintenance of public order, crime prevention and social reintegration support.

Areas of work:

  • Development and implementation of the legal framework and mechanisms for alternatives to imprisonment and probation management in line with international standards.
  • Establishment and institutionalization of a sustainable capacity building system for probation.
  • Development and implementation of an information management strategy for the probation service.
  • Capacity development of probation officers to manage rehabilitation and social reintegration programs.

The component on criminal justice information management aims to strengthen gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches to the administration of justice in the context of increased automation and digitalisation in the justice sector.

Areas of work:

  • Establishment and operationalization of the Unified Registry of Administrative Infractions
  • Expansion and institutionalization of the Unified Registry of Crimes
  • Introduction of predictive analytics for evidence-based crime prevention and intelligence-led policing
  • Capacity development of justice actors to process cases with application of gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches at each stage of the justice process
  • Enhancement of data protection safeguards and mechanisms in the criminal justice sector

The partnership between the EU, UNODC and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic under the JUST4ALL framework illustrates the collective commitment to ensure an effective, fair and humane criminal justice system for the entire population by strengthening criminal justice information management and the probation process. In doing so, the project contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. In particular, JUST4ALL advances the progressive achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 5 ‘gender equality’,10 ‘reduced inequalities’ and 16 ‘peace, justice and strong institutions’.

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For more information, contact Vasilina Brazhko

Communication and PR Specialist at

UNODC ROCA

+996775987817 WhatsApp

Vasilina.brazhko [at] un.org