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Ammon News - First-time offenders can now seek alternatives to their prison sentences under an amended version of Jordan's penal code which came into effect as of June 24, 2022.

First-time offenders who received prison sentences of less than a year can submit requests to the courts to implement alternatives to incarceration under amendments to the Penal Code No. 16 of 1960, provided that the court has the discretion to approve or deny the request.

The law states: "For misdemeanors, and with the exception of repeat offenders, the court may pursue, even if the verdict is final, one or more of the following alternatives: community service, community and electronic surveillance, and movement restrictions."

The law defines community service as requiring the convict, with their consent, to perform unpaid community service for a period of no less than 40 hours and no more than 100 hours, provided that the work is completed within a year.

The amendment includes requiring the offender to participate in a court-ordered rehabilitation program designed to evaluate and improve their behavior, placing them under electronic supervision for a minimum of one month and a maximum of one year, and prohibiting them from entering specific locations for a minimum of one month and a maximum of one year.