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- Published: October 12, 2022
Alternative penal sanctions to ease the strain on the judiciary and the penitentiary system
IRZ organised an online exchange of experience on the application of alternative penal sanctions and alternatives to pre-trial detention on 21 September 2022 in cooperation with the Jordanian Judicial Council and the Jordanian Judicial Academy.
Participants on the Jordanian side were judges at various courts and representatives of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Priorities of the online exchange of experience
The professional exchange focused on the following priorities:
- Alternative penal sanctions and their area of application in Jordan and Germany (barriers, advantages and disadvantages)
- Legal framework, procedures and conditions for the application of alternative penal sanctions and alternatives to pre-trial detention
- Procedures and working mechanisms of the authorities in the application of alternative penal sanctions and alternatives to pre-trial detention in Germany
Legal bases for alternative penal sanctions in Jordan
On the Jordanian side, Judge Dr Hassan Al-Abdallat from the Amman Public Prosecutor’s Office held a talk on the various alternative penal sanctions and their legal bases in Jordan. In 2017, for instance, a variety of alternatives to pre-trial detention (especially for petty offences) were introduced into law as part of a reform of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Jordan. They include use of electronic ankle bracelets or the option of community service instead of a custodial sentence.
Talks on the topics of the penitentiary system and resocialisation in Germany
Representing IRZ at the event were Mr Andreas Stüve, Senior Public Prosecutor at the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office, and Mr Pascal Décarpes, international advisor to the European Union in the penitentiary system and resocialisation. Their talks addressed the issues of the private prosecution procedure, opportunity decisions, the instrument of accelerated proceedings and the suspension of sentences for probation. There was also a discussion on probation and correctional services, as well as the significant role that civil society organisations play in this context.
Relief for the penitentiary system
The exchange elucidated the differences between, but also the similarities in, the two countries’ systems. Nonetheless, both Jordan and Germany share a fundamental interest in easing the strain on the (criminal) justice and penitentiary systems.
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Justice
The event was held with institutional funding from the Federal Ministry of Justice.