Among the pillars of criminal justice system, Probation is an efficient and feasible alternate to imprisonment. The aim of Bihar Probation Service is to supervise, reform and rehabilitate the offenders. Probation allows offenders to remain in the community under supervision instead of serving the imprisonment.
Union government has enacted the Probation of Offenders Act 1958 to create Probation as part of criminal justice system and Bihar became the first state to implement the law by framing ‘The Bihar Probation of Offenders Rules, 1959’.
Apart from this, Probation Officers are also given responsibilities under acts, rules, laws such as:
- Bihar Prison Manual, 2012 (remission)
- Bihar Prisoners (Temporary Release) Rules, 1973
- The Bihar Victims of the Offence Welfare Trust Rules 2013
- Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (Social Investigation Report and dealing with Juvenile Probationer)
- Immoral Traffic Act, 1956
- Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)
Currently Probation unit is functional in every district of Bihar with a cadre strength of 142 Officers under the leadership of Inspector General of Prisons.