34,000 convicts released on probation, minister says

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Almost 34,000 people have been released from prisons on probation as the end of August, Minister Ergin says. AA photo

As of the end of August, almost 34,000 people have been released from prisons on probation, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin announced yesterday.

Among those on probation exactly 33,976 people were released from prisons in line with Law on Probation that was enacted July 5 and allows convicts who satisfy certain criteria to serve the last year of their sentence under probation outside of prison. Of those 919 have finished their probation period without problems and were eventually released altogether, Ergin said.

“Figures show that the system has been successful. Around 98 percent of every 100 persons we have released are serving their penalty under conditions that have been outlined [with the law]. Either they have been working free for public service or spending their time at their houses; or if they are prohibited to go to a certain place, they obey this ban,” Ergin was quoted as saying by private NTV news channel.

According to NTV, 610 convicts have returned to prison for violating the conditions of their probation.
Ergin, meanwhile, also announced that the use of ankle monitors, which allow law enforcement officials to prevent convicts subject to restraining orders from approaching locations they are prohibited from entering, will be widened.

“At the moment, there are around 50 convicts who are still subject to a pilot program on the use of ankle monitors. We will start the widespread implementation by the end of this year. We are establishing an infrastructure which will be able to meet [demands for] use to this first stage, which is 10,000 and at the following stage 20,000 [ankle monitors],” Ergin said, noting that the planned system for ankle monitors’ use could further be widened according to the need.