Description
The project is needed to increase application of alternatives to imprisonment. The objective of the project is to increase the number of conditionally released convicts by means of electronic monitoring and contribute to the reduction of prison overcrowding. This will be achieved, firstly by procuring and installing hardware equipment for electronic monitoring system (virtual machine with server) and electronic monitoring devices (125) and secondly, by training the staff of the probation services to use the obtained equipment (100 officers will be trained). The target number of persons to whom the electronic monitoring devices during the project implementation period will be applied is 250 (per year). Implementation of the project will shorten inmates` dwelling in prison by 5-6 months in average and at the same time increase public safety (due to effective control of the behaviour of conditionally released persons).
Summary of project results
The Penalty Enforcement Code of the Republic of Lithuania and the Law on Probation of the Republic of Lithuania provide for intense supervision of the person under probation, i.e. the control of the location of the person under probation according to his daily timetable, using electronic surveillance measures. In order to effectively implement and ensure the continuous intensive monitoring of the persons under probation with electronic surveillance measures, to increase application of alternatives to imprisonment as well as to contribute to the reduction of prison overcrowding, the Prisons Department of the Republic of Lithuania needed to purchase a modern electronic surveillance equipment. In the course of project implementation 125 units of electronic surveillance monitoring base stations, 125 units of electronic surveillance bracelets, the electronic surveillance software as well as high accuracy virtual machine with a server have been acquired and more than 100 probation officers trained. In addition, related services (mobile network and etc.) necessary for conducting the surveillance of the conditionally released convicts in all Lithuanian probation services have been purchased. Furthermore, 13 information seminars for inmates and officers in the penitentiary institutions and 2 seminars for society to introduce the new electronic surveillance equipment have been organized. The electronic surveillance system featuring the GPS tracking function has been launched and the Electronic monitoring center has been set up in July 2016. Until the end of the project 428 conditionally released convicts have been surveilled using the electronic monitoring equipment. Application of electronic surveillance contributes to the improvement of the whole penal system, helps to reduce the number of inmates in the correctional institutions and saves the human resources of the probation services. Continuous monitoring of the convicted persons is also an effective preventive measure contributing to the public safety and security. This was a long term investment and the implemented electronic monitoring system will function for more than 5 – 6 years.
Summary of bilateral results