Probation marks its 20th year

A “20th Anniversary Introduction Seminar of Probation” was held through the collaboration of Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Istanbul Anatolian Probation Directorate. The seminar addressed the development of probation practices in Türkiye, their social function, and their rehabilitation-based structure. The role of probation within the individual society relationship, as well as social reintegration and supervision mechanisms, were also discussed.

The seminar took place at Üsküdar University South Campus, Socrates Hall, and featured speakers from the Istanbul Anatolian Probation Directorate, including Institution Director Seviyya Sancı, Chief Officer İsmail Yardım, and Psychologist Özge Sezer.

The event attracted strong interest and was attended by Asst. Prof. Nihan Kalkandeler Özdin, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, along with faculty members. During the seminar, probation was evaluated from multiple perspectives, emphasizing its focus on reintegrating individuals into society rather than relying solely on punitive approaches, as well as its historical development and implementation processes.

Seviyya Sancı: “These practices aim to reintegrate convicted individuals into society”

Institution Director Seviyya Sancı stated that probation is a human centered and community-based execution system that serves as an alternative to custodial sentences. She emphasized that probation practices aim to reintegrate convicted individuals into society through supervision, monitoring, and rehabilitation activities without isolating them from their social environment.

“The work is carried out by a multidisciplinary team”

Referring to the historical development of probation in Türkiye, Sancı noted that the system gained its legal framework in 2005 and has expanded significantly over the years. Today, supervision and rehabilitation activities are carried out for hundreds of thousands of individuals. She added that the Istanbul Anatolian side operates under a single directorate and that all activities are conducted by a multidisciplinary team composed of professionals from various fields.

İsmail Yardım explained probation practices

Following this, Chief Officer İsmail Yardım provided information on probation practices, including execution processes, case types, judicial control measures, and field operations. He highlighted the structure of probation as a system based on supervision and monitoring within the community.

Özge Sezer addressed rehabilitation and psychosocial support

Psychologist Özge Sezer focused on the rehabilitation and psychosocial support aspects of probation practices. She invited students and academics to contribute to the process through volunteer activities.

After a question-and-answer session, the event concluded with a group photo.