24-10-2023 11:47
Training for probation officers to use the new offender risk assessment toolkit has commenced. The first session took place from 16 to 20 October this year and was attended by 32 experts.
The training is part of the project "Strengthening the implementation of alternative measures to deprivation of liberty" (RAP 3), sub-activity 2.5, of the Justice Programme, Programme Area 19 "Correctional services and pre-trial detention" of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014 - 2021.
The first trainees were introduced to the main criminological and psychological theories of risk assessment, criminogenic needs, different programs and interventions for correctional work with offenders, the updated risk assessment tool and the developed software platform for its implementation.
The presenters of the training were researchers and lecturers, as well as representatives of the company-executor of the project - Prometrix Ltd, in the person of - Dr. Nikolay Nikolov and Tatiana Brickler.
International experts from the Kingdom of Norway, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Croatia were also involved as lecturers.
Representatives of the Norwegian partners in the project from the Probation Service Agder Tuve Lövik Johansen and Sheshtti Simondsen gave a presentation on "Community-based sentencing and the use of different assessment tools and interview techniques in the work with probationers in Norway".
The Head of Sexual Offences Assessment and Policy Management from the UK Prison and Probation Service, Helen Walton, presented on the development and build on the OASys offender assessment used in probation services and in this country.
The Croatian system for assessing offenders was presented by heads of probation services in Croatia Vesna Želić Ferenčić and Mateja Sršen.
By the end of November this year, all 250 probation officers in the country should be trained on this activity by the project.