After-care

The role of the probation officer is significant not only in the implementation of alternative sanctions, but also in the case of those who committed the most serious crimes.  The aim of after-care is to provide the released prisoners or offenders released from reformatory with help for the social re-integration and for the creation of the necessary social conditions in order to protect the public and to prevent crime repetition. Since 2003, after-care begins six months before the expected time of release. The assistance may continue after release if the ex-convict requires it subsequent to the release.

The probation officer helps with, among others, solving housing problems, job search, obtaining documents and arranging other official matters. The probation officer may direct the person under after-care to religious, charity or other organizations co-operating with the Probation Service, and, in reasonable cases, may provide the client with a small amount of cash subsidy. After-care serves both social and crime prevention roles, since one of the major reasons of recidivism is the disorder in the above-mentioned circumstances as well as the sense of helplessness, which can be changed by the probation officer in co-operation with the client.

Another, equally new field of after-care is the preparation of the offender’s family for the reception of the offender.

The after-care tasks in the reformatory and penal institution are carried out by the competent probation officer according to the headquarters of the institution, while the after-care following release and the preparation of the family are implemented by the probation officer of the competent county office. The number of persons under after-care all over the country is approximately 2,200 annually.