Dr.. Smith addressed the group of Probation officers in Delhi Government and informed about the instrumental role played by a Probation officer in assisting the judicial system in delivering justice. He furthered that the key for any effective probation service is that willingness of the subject to keep coming back . With the right use of Acupuncture techniques can aid the probation officer to motivate the subject to come back willingly. According to Dr.. Smith :
Mr. Vatsayan commenced the session by introducing Nada India and Dr.
Smith to the members
present . He broadly categorised the purpose of meeting into two viz.
·
To know
about the gaps in the delivery of the probation services .
·
The applicability
of Dr. smiths knowledge and techniques to bridge the gap in the Indian set up
of probation services .
The introductory address was followed by the introduction of all
the members in the group and their experiences vis-a-vis the delivery of
probation services . The main points which transpired were :
·
Oblivion
of the prisoners and their family about the concept of Probation and the
services provided under it .
·
Lack of
acknowledgement of the authority by both the judiciary and the perpetrators of
crime. Often , the Social Investigation reports prepared by Probation officers
are not paid any heed to .
·
Most
offenders do not regard Probation as punishment . Hence, the purpose of
probation as a deterrent of crime gets defeated because the correctional value
is often under estimated.
·
Lesser
recognition to Probation Officers as compared to the other post held.
·
Undue
interference from the judiciary and other departments in the domain of work
done by Probation Officers.
·
Paucity
of the resources, funds, manpower and infrastructure working for the Probation
officers working in the area drug de-addiction and rehabilitation.
·
Generic
knowledge to the Probation Officers about drug addiction . No special training to
the Probation officers working with Drug addicts .
Some of the suggestions that were given to the Probation Officers
by the group were :
·
Spreading
awareness about the concept of probation and the powers of the probation
officers not only amongst the offenders but also the judiciary .
·
Developing
linkages with other non governmental organisations working in the area of drug
de-addiction and rehabilitation.
·
Generating
identity cards and visiting cards for Probation Officer in order to facilitate
the process of networking with institutions .
·
Ensuring
clear distinction between the first time and repeated perpetrators of
crime and accordingly the punishment
meted.
Taking the discourse further Dr.. Smith addressed the group and
informed about the instrumental role played by a Probation officer in assisting
the judicial system in delivering justice. He furthered that the key for any
effective probation service is that willingness of the subject to keep coming
back . With the right use of Acupuncture techniques can aid the probation
officer to motivate the subject to come back willingly. According to Dr.. Smith
:
·
The
acupuncture program in question is user friendly and can be used by probation
officers .
·
It is a
non verbal beginning to the process of casework and has a calming affect on the
recipients of the same .
·
Acupuncture
is a process by which trust is developed and hence opens the channels of
communication between the probation officers and the accused.
·
Acupuncture
is not an alternative to the process of casework but it is aiding mechanism .
Following the discussion, group members were asked to volunteer to
have an experience of the effects of acupuncture. Group members were given the
therapy and asked about their experiences after
half an hour. Most of the volunteers experienced a feeling of 'rejuvenation', 'freshness' and
'light-headed' and 'the feeling after meditation' .
Mr.Vatsayan then concluded by the proposing to conduct a workshop
wherein the Probation Officers could be trained for the acupuncture therapy.
Mr. Mahesh Sharma carried the session further by informing the probation
officers that there could a detailed workshop on the use of acupuncture therapy
in the delivery of probation services. He then closed the session by extending
a vote of thanks to Dr.. Smith and Mr.
Vatsayan for sharing their valuable experiences and knowledge and the other
members of the group for taking out time from their busy schedules. Members Present: Dr.. Michael O.Smith, Mr. Suneel Vatsyasan , Mr. Mahesh Sharma Chief Probation Officer and 15 probation officers from Delhi under the directorate of Social Welfare Delhi Govt.
Venue: Sewa Kutir, Kingsway Camp, Delhi
Date :20.01.11
Time :3:00-5:15pm.