Probation system in Turkey: an analysis of a public policy formation using multiple streams framework

ABSTRACT

Turkey initiated a major reform in its criminal justice system in 2005 and a probation system was officially created. This article analyses the probation policy formation, and development processes in Turkey using a multiple streams framework (MSF), as theorised by John Kingdon. Qualitative method is employed through archival records, governmental documents, and semi-structured interviews with key actors. Findings suggest that MSF explains the evolution of the probation system, which emerged in a critical time. However, although the probation system was set up to overcome the increasing prison population and alternative to incarceration, the number of prisoners and probationers have increased significantly. Today, Turkey has been ranked one of the largest prison population in the world. It is concluded that the penal policy has led to unintended consequences, and the penal system including probation practices has been dramatically politicised by the government.

KEYWORDS:

• Criminal justice
• public policy
• penal populism
• probation system
• multiple streams framework
• Turkey

Notes

1. In academic literature, the concept of multiple streams has been used as an approach, a model, a theory, and a framework. We used it as a framework but used interchangeably throughout the paper.

2. The book has several editions since 1984. But we used Pearson’s Second Edition (2014).

3. Since the coup d’etat in July 2016, we have been sceptical about the criminal justice and penal statistics of Turkey. It may not reflect the real numbers due to the lack of transparency, authoritarian type of regime, and a state of emergency situation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Arif Akgul

Arif Akgul, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Indiana State University. His teaching and research interests include criminal justice institutions, public policy, and security studies.

Halil Akbas

Halil Akbas, Ph.D. is a faculty member in the Department of Criminal Justice at Troy University. His main research activities include policing, human trafficking, and migration.

Ahmet Kule

Ahmet Kule, Ph.D. received his MA and Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York. He served at the NATO School in Germany as a senior instructor. He teaches terrorism, justice policies, and comparative criminal justice at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.