Deputy Minister of Justice Arpine Sargsyan and US Chargé d'Affaires in Armenia Chip Laitinen visited the Probation Service to learn about the results of joint steps to develop the service's capabilities.

Through the Drug Control and Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (INL), the US government has donated property and computer equipment to the Probation Service of Yerevan and regional bodies, which will contribute to the development and effective operation of the service.

Within the framework of the visit, the head of the Probation Service, Gevorg Simonyan, presented the pilot program to minimize contact between the probationer and the probation officer through the use of electronic fingerprint recognition equipment with low-risk probationers, which will operate in Yerevan. A tour was also conducted in the renovated and furnished electronic monitoring, equipped with software and technical equipment, in the offices of the newly created rehabilitation work unit and the rooms set aside for psychological support.

Deputy Minister of Justice Arpine Sargsyan stated with satisfaction that with the support of the US Embassy's Drug Control and Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (INL), probation officers have the necessary working and living conditions. He also stated that the pilot program aimed at minimizing contact with low-risk persons seeks to direct the potential of probation officers to work with higher-risk persons, on the one hand, and to reduce corruption risks, on the other hand.

Sargsyan noted that the Ministry of Justice has a strategic priority for the development of the probation institute in the republic; therefore, during the coming year, the implementation of changes in the work of the service will be intensively continued, which will have a positive impact on both employees and beneficiaries.

The meeting participants exchanged words of thanks for the practical cooperation, with the expectation of expanding further collaboration.

The meeting was also attended by Alexis Haftwani, Director of the US Embassy's Drug Control and Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (INL), project team members, and Probation Service leadership.