DEVPOLES strengthens probation services in Guyana
The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry for Legal Affairs and the Inter-American Development Bank, entrusted DEVPOLES to lead capacity building efforts for the country’s probation system.
Foto credits: DEVPOLES backstopping team
Statement of the challenge
In Guyana, judges and magistrates have the option of both probation and community service orders as alternatives to imprisonment. However, these measures are scarcely used because magistrates lack the proper incentives to make use of these options, as confidence in the effectiveness of probation services to provide efficient supervision of offenders is low. This has in turn produced an overuse of pre-trial detention and an over reliance on custodial sentences
Progress so far
DevPoles has completed the organizational assessment, mapped "as is" processes, administered a psychometric tests of all probation officers, determined areas for improvement in KSAs, developed results-oriented job descriptions as well as a performance apprisal programme.
SO far, our team has aleady trained two batches of officers in:
- - Probation legal considerations
- - Situational awareness
- - Defence tactics and lawful use of force
- - First aid for probations officers
By delivering these services, the project led by DEVPOLES will contribute towards reducing recidivism and inmate population by improving the social integration of people in conflict with the law.