Ammon News - A delegation from the Steering Committee of the Iraqi National Strategy for Aftercare learned about Jordan's experience in implementing non-custodial penalties during a visit to the Jordanian Ministry of Justice.

During his meeting with the delegation on Tuesday, in the presence of Taghreed Jabr, Regional Director of Penal Reform International – Middle East and North Africa Office, the Ministry's Secretary-General for Judicial Affairs, Walid Kanakrieh, noted the "deep-rooted, brotherly" Jordanian-Iraqi relations and the two countries' commitment to developing cooperation and exchanging expertise in legal and judicial fields.

Kanakrieh stated Jordan began implementing these alternative sentences following amendments to the Penal Code in 2017, adding that these alternatives are applied to first-time offenders,as well as minor offenses and crimes that do not pose a threat to security and public order.

Kanakrieh said alternative punishments aim to avoid the negative effects of imprisonment, give convicts a chance to remain within the social fabric, rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society, reduce overcrowding in correctional and rehabilitation centers, and prevent first-time offenders from mixing with people with serious criminal records.

Additionally, the Iraqi delegation was briefed on the indicators and types of alternative penalties, the cases of application and the online monitoring system using electronic bracelets.

The presentation also featured the mechanism for monitoring and detecting violations and the e-system developed to monitor implementation of these alternatives in cooperation with partner agencies.

According to a ministry statement, the two sides also reviewed community service programs and campaigns implemented in cooperation with ministries, government institutions, and joint services councils.

Discussions also went over rehabilitation programs implemented at the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC) and the Zaha Cultural Center, which contribute to improving and reforming the convicts' behavior to serve public interest.

Petra