Courts in North Macedonia are not making sufficient use of the probation system. It allows convicted offenders to serve their sentences in the community or under house arrest, supervised by the probation service, rather than in prison.
Active probation cases rose from 604 in 2024 to 1,248 in 2026, more than doubling in two years. Electronic monitoring, however, remains little used. The Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions is calling on courts to turn more often to alternative sentences rather than imprisonment and to expand the use of electronic monitoring.
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According to data from the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, 12 court decisions ordering electronic monitoring have been issued so far. Four are judgments imposing house arrest, while eight are rulings replacing prison sentences with house arrest.
The directorate considers probation far more cost-effective than keeping convicted offenders in prison: it reduces the prison population and correctional institutions’ expenses while giving offenders an opportunity to reintegrate into society in the community. It acknowledges, however, that courts in different regions of the country are not developing and applying the system consistently.
The Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions sees encouraging judges to impose more alternative measures rather than prison sentences as a priority. It also wants conditional release to be permitted for longer periods and measures involving electronic monitoring to be implemented.
The European Commission has also highlighted the need for greater use of alternatives to imprisonment. In its 2026 report, Brussels notes a lack of progress in amending the legal framework for these alternatives. The Ministry of Justice told Alsat that it has drafted a bill that will soon be submitted to the government for consideration. According to the ministry, the initiative is part of reforms aimed at modernizing the system for the execution of sanctions and bringing it into line with European standards.
The ministry says the bill strengthens the Probation Service, provides for an electronic register and electronic monitoring, and improves risk assessment in criminal proceedings. It sets higher standards for human rights and equal treatment while strengthening protection for victims, particularly in cases of domestic and gender-based violence.
The expansion of alternative sentences is also linked to prison overcrowding in the country. Conditions in correctional institutions remain a persistent concern, and convicted offenders face harsh conditions while serving their sentences. Data from the Ombudsman show that overcrowding at Idrizovo prison doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year.
