Parole release and recidivism risk factors

Abstract

Since their introduction in the Republic of Serbia to this day, by the amendments to the legislative materials, the formal postulates concerning the parole release have been altered a number of times. This paper depicts the changes in legal provisions on parole release in Serbia and the solutions in foreign systems, as well as the examples of good practice which are considered to be adequate for incorporating into our legislation. The subjects of the research are court decisions on parole release and consideration of recidivism risk factors. The goal is determination of different kinds and volume of scientifically and empirically proven factors which competent courts take into consideration while they release on parole. The research was done on a sample of 121 files of convicts serving their sentences in Užice County Jail and Padinska Skela Correction Facility. The research results indicate that in the course of parole release the facts, which have been determined to represent recidivism risk factors, are only partly taken into account.

Od uvođenja, u Republici Srbiji, do danas, izmenama zakonodavne materije, formalne pretpostavke, koje se tiču dodele uslovnog otpusta, više puta su menjane. U radu su prikazne promene zakonskih odredbi, o uslovnom otpustu u Srbiji i rešenja iz inostranih sistema, kao primeri dobre prakse, a za koje se smatra da bi bilo adekvatno inkorporirati u naše zakonodavstvo. Predmet istraživanja su odluke sudova o dodeli uslovnog otpusta i uvažavanje faktora rizika recidivizma. Cilj istraživanja je utvrđivanje vrste i obima naučno i empirijski dokazanih faktora, koje nadležni sudovi (ne)uzimaju u obzir prilikom dodele uslovnog otpusta. Istraživanje je vršeno na uzorku od 121 dosijea osuđenih, koji su se nalazili na izvršenju kazne u Okružnom zatvoru Užice i Kazneno-popravnom zavodu Padinska Skela. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju da se prilikom dodele uslovnog otpusta delimično uvažavaju činjenice, za koje je istraživanjima dokazano da predstavljaju faktore rizika recidivizma.