Courts implement 48 alternative sentences in September — Justice Ministry

AMMAN — Jordanian courts have implemented 48 of 109 alternative sentences issued to defendants in September, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday, as reported by Al Mamlaka TV.

Justice Minister Ahmad Ziadat in May said that the endorsed amendments to the Jordanian Penal Code (JPL) by Parliament are intended to protect society as well as introduce new or alternative punishments that did not previously exist within the law.

One of the important additions, according to Ziadat, is the introduction of “alternative penalties” for petty crimes. In such cases the presiding judge can issue one or more alternatives to incarceration for non-repeat offenders, under the supervision of the Justice Ministry.

“The aim is to give defendants, in cases of petty crimes, who are not repeat offenders, a chance to continue their lives by serving the community instead of being imprisoned with other individuals who have committed major crimes,” the minister said.

Alternatives include community service of between 40-100 hours, enrolment in a behavioural rehabilitation programme, forms of electronic surveillance lasting from one month to a year, as well as denied access to certain locations for a period of one month, and up to a year, the minister explained.

The minister also said that the law includes the introduction of the electronic monitoring bracelet, which can be used as an alternative to incarceration.

The ministry on Tuesday said that it has purchased some 1,500 bracelets to be used for alternative punishments, noting that the system can accommodate up to 5,000 in the future if necessary.