Presentation of Sex Offender Assessment System

As part of the activities of improving tools for the implementation of community sanctions and measures, under the project “Strengthening human rights protection and public safety by improving the capacities of the Croatian probation service”, a working group composed of three probation officers (Probation Office Zagreb I) and 4 officers of the prison system (Lepoglava Penitentiary, Glina Penitentiary, Zagreb Prison and Bjelovar Prison) has developed a Sex Offender Assessment System along with an accompanying application manual. 

On 22 April 2024, a presentation of the Assessment System was held at the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, where a total of 59 officers from the Central Office of the Prison System, the Central Probation Office, 10 probation offices and 13 correctional facilities participated live or via a video link. 

The participants learned that the Assessment System serves to assess the risk of criminal recidivism, but also to detect rehabilitation areas for sex offenders in order to reduce recidivism, and it can be a useful source of information and guidance for the work of officers involved in the process of assessment and rehabilitation of perpetrators of sexual offenses, both in probation and prison system.

The Assessment System is not considered at this stage as the approved form and instrument for assessing risks and rehabilitation needs under the Ordinance on Prisoner Rehabilitation, but it can be used internally by the officers of the Rehabilitation Department to assist in the assessment of needs and the planning of rehabilitation of sex offenders, primarily under the PRIKIP (Recidivism Prevention and Impulsive Behaviour Control) programme.