Community-based Supervision
Collecting data and sharing practices from around the world1
Our initial data collection efforts seek to document if countries2 have community supervision practices in place (Yes, No, In-Design, or Unknown), key highlights3 and related links for these countries about their efforts. Below, select and expand any of the regions to see what we’ve learned about countries from that area.
| Status Summary | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| YES - Community-based supervision is offered | 107 | 55% |
| In-Design - Programs are currently being designed but not offered | 5 | 3% |
| Unknown - Information is not yet available | 73 | 37% |
| No - Supervision is not offered at this time within the community | 10 | 5% |
- Updated
Africa
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | YES | Algiers offers a centralized reintegration site for the on-going support of released individuals | Ministry of Justice Prison and Reintegration Sector |
| Kenya | YES | Community supervision is governed by the Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government, State Department for Correctional Services | Probation and Aftercare Service |
| Namibia | YES | The Namibian Correctional Service’s Strategic Plan includes public education about rehabilitative services and the benefits of community engagement. Amidst a family/collective society culture, the lack of negative stigma for reentry clients may explain low recidivism rates. Current activities can be found at https://www.facebook.com/www.ncs.gov.na | The Namibian Correctional Service |
| Nigeria | YES | In Nigeria, a two-day retreat was held to review, reflect, and improve the correctional service’s performance. The public was able to weigh in opportunities to create a better version of offenders. | OsunDefender article |
| South Africa | YES | South Africa is in the process of digitizing and modernizing the judiciary system. Changes include video conferencing to be used for interviews and testimonies when direct contact is not necessary or feasible. | BusinessTech article |
| Angola | Unknown | ||
| Benin | Unknown | ||
| Botswana | YES | ||
| Burkina Faso | No | Amnesty programs possible during national holidays | |
| Burundi | Unknown | ||
| Cabo Verde | Unknown | ||
| Cameroon | Unknown | ||
| Central African Republic | Unknown | ||
| Chad | Unknown | ||
| Comoros | Unknown | ||
| Congo | Unknown | ||
| Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | YES | ||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Unknown | ||
| Djibouti | Unknown | ||
| Egypt | Unknown | ||
| Equatorial Guinea | Unknown | ||
| Eritrea | Unknown | ||
| Eswatini (Swaziland) | YES | ||
| Ethiopia | YES | ||
| Gabon | Unknown | ||
| Gambia (Republic of the) | Unknown | ||
| Ghana | YES | ||
| Guinea | Unknown | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | Unknown | ||
| Lesotho | YES | ||
| Liberia | Unknown | ||
| Libya | Unknown | ||
| Madagascar | Unknown | ||
| Malawi | YES | ||
| Mali | No | ||
| Mauritania | No | ||
| Mauritius | Unknown | ||
| Morocco | YES | ||
| Mozambique | YES | ||
| Niger | No | ||
| Rwanda | YES | A Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facility has been handed over to the Rwanda Correctional Service by Interpeace. See how offenders can acquire hands-on skills that contribute to their effective reintegration, reduce recidivism, and foster social cohesion. | Interpeace article |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Unknown | ||
| Senegal | No | Amnesty programs possible during national holidays | |
| Seychelles | Unknown | ||
| Sierra Leone | Unknown | ||
| Somalia | Unknown | ||
| South Sudan | No | ||
| Sudan | Unknown | ||
| Tanzania (United Republic of) | YES | ||
| Togo | Unknown | ||
| Tunisia | Unknown | ||
| Uganda | YES | ||
| Zambia | Unknown | ||
| Zimbabwe | No |
Americas - Central
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbados | YES | In Barbados, almost four dozen inmates will participate in technical and vocational training programs. These free programs include training in hospitality, digital media, beauty therapy and social services. | Barbados Today article |
| Belize | In-Design | Direct sentencing, probation, and parole are available. Implementation low due to pending processes and lack of resources. Members of the Belize Police Department, Central Prison and magistrate court system were delivered a presentation by an American professor with over 25 years of experience in the criminal justice system. | Community supervision services provided by the Belize Central Prison Amandala news article |
| Costa Rica | YES | Costa Rica’s Casas de Justicia aims to bring justice closer to the communities as support for conflict resolution is provided through negotiation and mediation. | Ministry of Justice and Peace |
| Jamaica | YES | Stand Up For Jamaica’s goal is to enhance and maintain the human rights of all, specifically from vulnerable groups such as inmates. They offer classes in correctional centers from remedial level to high school and provide teachers, books and laptops. | Stand Up for Jamaica |
| Saint Lucia | YES | St.Lucia was provided equipment so that officers can record interviews with witnesses and suspects. This will be more efficient than written interviews and also enhance transparency and accountability in the process. | St. Lucia Loop News article |
| Trinidad and Tobago | YES | Governed by the Ministry of National Security | Probation Services |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Unknown | ||
| Bahamas | In-Design | ||
| Cuba | Unknown | ||
| Dominica | Unknown | ||
| Dominican Republic | YES | ||
| El Salvador | YES | ||
| Grenada | Unknown | ||
| Guatemala | YES | ||
| Haiti | No | ||
| Honduras | YES | ||
| Nicaragua | YES | ||
| Panama | YES | ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Unknown | ||
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Unknown |
Americas - North
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | YES | Canada has launched the “Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism” which aims to break the cycle of reoffending, support rehabilitation, and make the communities safer for everyone | Canadian Lawyer article |
| United States of America | YES | In Florida, new legislation enables people on state probation and community control to be eligible to shorten probation terms by pursuing a GED, degree or vocational certification, and/or maintain full time employment. | PR Newswire article |
| Mexico | YES |
Americas - South
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | YES | ||
| Bolivia | YES | In Bolivia, inmates have the opportunity to get out of jail days or weeks early in exchange for reading. The “Books Behind Bars” program has been launched in 47 prisons and has had 867 participants. | TBS News article |
| Brazil | YES | The Brazilian prison system faces many challenges, including overcrowding and a high incarceration rate. Secretary of State for Prison and Socio-Educational Administration, Leandro Lima explains how they tackle addressing needed changes. | Justice Trends article |
| Chile | YES | ||
| Colombia | YES | ||
| Ecuador | YES | ||
| Guyana | No | ||
| Paraguay | Unknown | ||
| Peru | YES | ||
| Suriname | Unknown | ||
| Uruguay | YES | ||
| Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | Unknown |
Asia
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | YES | Singapore’s Home Team Community Assistance and Referral Scheme partners social workers with people incarcerated to help identify the issues that led to crime and refer them to suitable agencies. HT Cares is expanding to help next of kin. **Singapore Prison Service’s tagline: “Rehab, Renew, Restart” emphasizes commitment to rehabilitate inmates who desire to change, renew and restart their lives for the better, and garner the support of the community. | The Straits Times article **Singapore Prison Service | |
| Bangladesh | YES | Law allows probation as alternative sentence to incarceration, but implementation is difficult due to few P.O.s. Community supervision is governed by the Department of Social Services. |
| |
| India | YES | In India, the Chennai City Police’s pilot program “PARAVAI” (Personality Attitude Reformation Assistance Venture Affirming Identity) goal is to prevent recidivism and re-arrest among first time offenders. | The Hindu article | |
| Israel | YES | An inter-ministerial panel tasked with finding alternative forms of correction in Israeli suggested “community custody”, advancing restorative justice programs and creating programs to help formerly incarcerated individuals reenter into society. | The Times of Israel article | |
| Japan | YES | Volunteer Probation Officers (VPO) Program is governed by the Ministry of Justice. **New legislation allows offenders to work, provides counseling to help with rehabilitation, and more education programs to teach skills needed for reentry. | Ministry of Justice **The Asahi Shimbun article | |
| Malaysia | YES | By 2030, about 60% of Malaysian incarcerated individuals will be released to serve the remainder of their sentence on parole. | The Sun Daily article | |
| Pakistan | YES | Incarcerated individuals in Pakistan’s Sindh Prison Department have the opportunity to take an introductory six month Chinese language course as well as other courses prior to release. | Tribune article | |
| Philippines | YES | Community supervision is governed by the Department of Justice | Parole and Probation Administration | |
| Afghanistan | Unknown | |||
| Armenia | YES | In Armenia, two new toolkits will enable prison staff to perform a better initial screenings of inmates. The goal is to prevent suicide cases and reveal early self-harm behavior and the possible risks as well as screen and address mental health issues. | Council of Europe | |
| Azerbaijan | YES | |||
| Bahrain | Unknown | |||
| Bhutan | Unknown | |||
| Brunei | YES | Prisons in Brunei offer several programs for spirituality, counseling, physical therapy, and vocational training, which support the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Division’s mission to offer effective opportunities for released individuals. | Borneo Bulletin article | |
| Cambodia | In-Design | |||
| China | YES | |||
| Georgia | YES | |||
| Indonesia | YES | |||
| Iran | Unknown | |||
| Iraq | Unknown | |||
| Jordan | YES | |||
| Kazakhstan | YES | |||
| Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of | Unknown | |||
| Korea, Republic of (South) | YES | |||
| Kuwait | Unknown | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | In-Design | |||
| Laos | No | |||
| Lebanon | Unknown | |||
| Maldives | Unknown | |||
| Mongolia | Unknown | |||
| Myanmar | YES | |||
| Nepal | Unknown | |||
| Oman | Unknown | |||
| Palestine | Unknown | |||
| Qatar | Unknown | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Unknown | |||
| Sri Lanka | Unknown | |||
| Syrian Arab Republic | Unknown | |||
| Taiwan | YES | |||
| Tajikistan | Unknown | |||
| Thailand | YES | |||
| Timor-Leste | Unknown | |||
| Turkey | YES | |||
| Turkmenistan | Unknown | |||
| United Arab Emirates | Unknown | |||
| Uzbekistan | Unknown | |||
| Viet Nam | In-Design | |||
| Yemen | Unknown |
Europe
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | YES | ||
| Belgium | YES | Around 100 welfare projects will be launched in Belgium. Through the Cellmade employment platform, prisoners provide the funding for these programs from doing work such as carpentry, metalworking, and assembly to product packaging and book-binding. | The Brussels Times article |
| Bulgaria | YES | ||
| Croatia | YES | ||
| Czech Republic | YES | Offer restorative practices as supervision component via Probation and Mediation Services agency | Probation and Mediation Services (site offers English translation) |
| Denmark | YES | ||
| Estonia | YES | ||
| Finland | YES | In four Finnish prisons, a new program will equip prisoners with the technical skills they need in order to secure work in the modern job market and help them better integrate into society. | YLE News article |
| France | YES | ||
| Germany | YES | ||
| Greece | YES | ||
| Hungary | YES | ||
| Iceland | YES | ||
| Ireland, Republic of | YES | ||
| Italy | YES | Incarcerated individuals with exemplary behavior can apply to the Goronga Penal Institute. Inmates on the island can move around freely and spend most of their time working in Frescobaldi vineyards. | Forbes article |
| Latvia | YES | ||
| Lithuania | YES | ||
| Luxembourg | YES | ||
| Malta | YES | ||
| Moldova, Republic of | YES | ||
| Netherlands | YES | ||
| Norway | YES | Norway’s response to riots, high recidivism rates and the murder of two correctional officers was a prison system in the 1990s focusing on four key elements: The principle of normality, a focus on humanity, dynamic security and emphasis on reintegration. | How Norway’s Prisons are Different from America’s video |
| Poland | YES | ||
| Portugal | YES | ||
| Romania | YES | In Romania, the SECURE “Safe and Educated Community Undertaking Responsible Engagement” project analyzes the causes of reoffending. Spaces are dedicated to increase detainees’ responsibility and autonomy, and deliver rehabilitation and reintegration initiatives. | Justice Trends article |
| Slovakia | YES | ||
| Slovenia | YES | Interview with Danijela Mrhar Prelić, MSc., Director of the National Probation Service, on setting up a national probation service. | Justice Trends article |
| Spain | YES | ||
| Sweden | YES | ||
| Switzerland | YES | ||
| Ukraine | YES | ||
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | YES | In the UK, formerly incarcerated people working will not only prevent reincarceration but alleviate a shortage of workers. | Independent article |
| Albania | YES | ||
| Andorra | YES | ||
| Belarus | YES | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Unknown | ||
| Cyprus | YES | ||
| Liechtenstein | YES | ||
| Monaco | YES | ||
| Montenegro | YES | ||
| North Macedonia | YES | ||
| Russian Federation | YES | ||
| San Marino | YES | ||
| Serbia | YES |
Oceania (Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia)
| Country | Status | Highlights | Supporting Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | YES | Federal community supervision is governed by the Attorney-General’s Department. **Kanchana Thenuwara taught IT in Pilbara, Australia prisons. She then created an organization to assist prisoners before and after their release with reintegration back to the community. | Federal Parole **SBS Sinhala article |
| New Zealand | YES | In New Zealand, self-care units are residential style accommodations that allow inmates to work in the community during the day but return to prison before evening curfew. | Newsroom article |
| Fiji | YES | The Fiji Corrections Services’ Yellow Ribbon “Walk for Restoration” had a record turnout. Over 4000 participants, including Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, showed their support for second chances and rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals. | Fiji Village article |
| Papua New Guinea | YES | Community supervision is governed by the Department of Justice & Attorney General | Parole Services Probation Services |
| Solomon Islands | Unknown | ||
| Vanuatu | Unknown | ||
| Kiribati | Unknown | ||
| Marshall Islands | Unknown | ||
| Micronesia | Unknown | ||
| Nauru | Unknown | ||
| Palau | Unknown | ||
| Samoa | Unknown | ||
| Tonga | Unknown | ||
| Tuvalu | Unknown |
- Should you discover errors or updates required, please inform us at info@SAWProject.org.
- We are aware of the many complications inherent in representing countries, nations, jurisdictions, etc. The SAW Project follows the United Nations list of countries.
- Identified country “highlights” are chosen by the SAW Project in consultation with a variety of local sources.