Following on a number of agreements with local probation services, the Archdiocese of Bucharest of the Romanian Orthodox Church is actively assisting convicts in the process of social reintegration.
The Archdiocese signed an agreement with the Bucharest Probation Service and the Ilfov County Probation Service in December, and on Monday, October 4, it signed another collaboration protocol with the Prahova County Probation Service.
The collaboration will implicitly provide more safety in the community by preventing recidivism. The program will be implemented in as many parishes as possible throughout the county.
The agreement was signed by both Church and Probation Service representatives. Inspectors for Occupational Safety will also give support to the implementation.
Procedural details were established and it was agreed that the Prahova County Probation Service will take stock of the collaboration after 6 months and offer a written evaluation.
The protocol with the Prahova Probation Service is based on the protocol with the Bucharest and Ilfov Services signed in December, which calls to support criminals in the process of social reintegration and to attract other national and international institutions and organizations in this process.
But of course, the Church always has a deeper calling. “The purpose of the Church is to reintegrate some like them more than just socially, working even more on the soul … so that they don’t repeat the mistakes that would bring them back before the law,” commented Fr. Ginel-Aurelian Ivan, a representative of the Archdiocese.
The Romanian Patriarchate is also working with the state to prevent human trafficking and Bucharest clerics are also active in anti-drug training and activities.
PhotoȘ Bucharest Archdiocese
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