About

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PIREUS JUVENILE PROBATION AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SERVICE

The Piraeus Juvenile Probation and Social Assistance Service (YPSSA) is an organizational unit of the 3rd Directorate of Juvenile Probation and Social Assistance Services of the Ministry of Justice. It is located at 31 Ethnikis Antistaseos Street, 5th Floor, Piraeus, and consists of two distinct departments:

a) Juvenile Probation Officers Department
b) Social Assistance Probation Officers Department

These departments exercise the following responsibilities:

A. JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICERS DEPARTMENT (YPA)

The Juvenile Probation Officers Department is staffed by five Juvenile Probation Officers. According to Article 39 of Presidential Decree 30/2025, “Organization of the Ministry of Justice” (Government Gazette A' 52/09.04.2025), the mission of the Department is the community-based treatment of juveniles who have committed criminal offenses or are at risk of becoming offenders or victims of criminal acts. It also supports the juvenile criminal justice system both in preventing delinquency and victimization and in handling juvenile offenders, guided by the best interests of the child and their social reintegration.

Juvenile Probation Officers are specialized professionals who intervene at both preventive and corrective levels. They conduct social investigations upon prosecutorial or judicial order, prepare confidential social reports, and provide recommendations to judicial authorities regarding the most appropriate treatment for each juvenile. They also implement or supervise the execution of rehabilitative and therapeutic measures provided for by criminal legislation and offer counseling and psychosocial support to juveniles and their families. 

The Service cooperates with families, educational institutions, mental health services, child protection agencies, and all other competent bodies, with the aim of providing comprehensive support to juveniles, strengthening their sense of responsibility and social skills, preventing reoffending, and facilitating their successful social integration. Through an interdisciplinary approach and cooperation with all involved stakeholders, the Service contributes to the implementation of a modern, child-centered, and restorative juvenile justice system. 

B. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROBATION OFFICERS DEPARTMENT (YPSA)

The Social Assistance Probation Officers Department is staffed by three Social Assistance Probation Officers. 

According to Article 39 of Presidential Decree 30/2025 (Government Gazette A' 52/09.04.2025), the responsibilities of the Department are: 

a) Assisting and supervising adult individuals who are released on parole, whose sentence execution has been suspended under supervision, who are subject to restrictive conditions, or who are serving their sentence through community service.

b) Conducting social investigations regarding the lifestyle and other personal circumstances of remand prisoners, individuals released on parole, individuals whose sentence execution has been suspended under supervision, those subject to restrictive conditions, or those serving their sentence through community service.

c) Identifying and securing placements for community service work, submitting the relevant proposal to the competent Public Prosecutor, and supervising its implementation.