The Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, known in Macedonia by the acronym UIC, have purchased 400 electronic bracelets for offenders who will be serving their sentences under house arrest, because, as of November 1, under Government planning, the Law on Probation is expected to be implemented.
The Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions told “Meta” that they have already acquired the electronic devices, monitors, the software and they have trained staff to work with the new monitoring systems which will assist in offenders serving their sentences under house arrest, which is new to the Macedonian penal system.
However, when the first ruling for house arrest transpires with the electronic bracelet, it is unknown whether the monitoring device will be used, as part of the organizational work for the full implementation of the law is yet to be completed.
Lidija Gavrilovska, the Director of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions told us, after the law in enforced, the Directorate has to prepare the staff system and organize the Probationary Service, establish local probation offices, (one on the level for Skopje and Bitola, Prilep, Gostivar, Ohrid, Kumanovo, Veles, Tetovo, Kocani, Strumica and Stip) and to employ parole officers.
These activities are currently ongoing, but according to Ms Gavrilovska, due to the upcoming elections on December 11, their activities are not going as planned.
“It is a difficult time with the elections, no-one expected that the elections and the implementation would be planned at the same time”, says Gavrilovska.
Besides undergoing house arrest with supervision, the Probation Law also provides alternative measures such as, probation with supervision and community service.
For now, according to our information, the electronic ankle bracelets will not apply to all sentences, because more amendments to the Law on Criminal Procedure are needed.
Zvonko Davidovic,a lawyer, told “Meta” that his and his colleagues have still not received any news or notice regarding the start of the Prohibition Law. He says he doesn’t expect the law to start changing any time soon, even though it is planned to begin now,
The implementation of the Probation Law is meant to free up space within the prison system and also save money from the budget, where large amounts of money from the state budget are being allocated to various prisons across the country.
The project for the implementation of the law began in 2010 and was funded with money from IPA funds of the European Union, amounting up to €1.8 million.
