More than 500,000 people on probation in Turkey

ISTANBUL

A total of 583,083 offenders are under surveillance as part of Turkey’s probation programs, daily Habertürk reported on June 21.

Offering an alternative to incarceration, the fundamental purpose of the probation system is to prevent individuals from committing a criminal offense again, rehabilitating them and monitoring their activities outside the prison.

The probation programs are supervised by the Justice Ministry’s General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Facilities’ Probation Department.

As part of the program, a total of 583, 083 people are on probation and 18,843 of those individuals are children under the age of 18.

As part of judicial control orders, 379,100 people are banned from travelling abroad and report regularly to police stations.

A total of 96,355 people who were released from prison because of good behavior are now on probation.

Some 22,882 people who received punitive fines are doing community work while 62 individuals are under house arrest.

Some 60,476 people who committed drug-related crimes are receiving treatment and are on probation, including 3,124 children, according to the data.

Some 3,989 convicts are stripped of certain civil rights, while courts have deferred the announcement of verdict for a total of 533 people.

Habertürk also reported that 1,103 people have benefited from the repentance law.