< Previous50 PERSPECTIVES VOLUME 45, NUMBER 2 INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE of the judiciary, which paid attention to victims and injured parties rather formally, played a role in this. Similarly, probation services all around the world traditionally paid attention primarily to crime offenders. Bringing victims more to the forefront was a brand new concept. The crime victim with his/her needs is already part of case work. The concerns of the Service employees about contacting the victims played a role, too. Over the course of time, the restorative approach began to win out in the practice of the Service, and this was in great part due to probation officers’ own positive practical experience and the favorable responses of crime victims themselves. We have learned that above all we need to talk to people who have become crime victims—and we should not be afraid of raising questions. Our experience has taught us that we need to respect the impact of the traumatizing incident on the victim irrespective of the prosecution stage, because there are two separate processes, which in many cases take place independently of each other (e.g., several months may elapse after the assault before the offender is identified and prosecution starts). Today at any of 74 Service Centers across the Czech Republic there is a probation officer specializing in mediation and victim‘s counselling. Moreover, by 2020 there were 56 specialized counselling offices established under the auspices of the Why me? I and II projects. That year the Service provided help and counselling to 4,306 crime victims. FutureoftheProbationandMediation Service To some extent the future of the Probation and Mediation Service has been outlined by the aforementioned Probation and Mediation Development Concept until 2025. The unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic caused unexpected challenges, however, forcing everyone to revise and update measures, protocols, and methodological standards. It is a credit to the Service that during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns it never shut down completely and continued working with clients, conducting mediations and providing help to crime victims. The extent to which the pandemic may hamper the Service‘s ability to meet its goals and projections in the next few years is n1ot yet clear. Overall, the service has built a strong foundation with a clear record of success that holds promise for the long-term future as well. The professionals working in the Service will continue to perform their essential work—but always with an eye to improving programs whenever possible and getting better and better outcomes. References Act No. 257 on Probation and Mediation Service. Youth Justice Act, No. 218/2003 Coll. Elektronická úřední deska Ministerstva spravedlnosti ČR. 51 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Serve your community. Stand for justice. Connect with others. Ready to make a deeper impact in your community? JOIN TODAY! APPA has provided me a voice and the conndence to move forward in the changing times of community supervision. - Greg Dillon for Individuals APPA Membership OPTIONS: Next >