The 3.5 percent increase compared to the previous year is attributed to judges increasingly relying on probation services to prevent further offenses, said Neustart Managing Director Alfred Kohlberger on Thursday.

Plus 13 Percent

In the last ten years, the number of clients of the Neustart association increased by 13 percent. The reason for the increased use of probation services is not more legally binding convictions, but rather that the instrument of probation is gaining more acceptance among the judiciary. In 2024, the number of legally binding convictions decreased.

In a survey conducted in January 2025, 99 percent of those supported stated that they were satisfied with the work of Neustart. 93 percent said their lives had improved thanks to the support of the association. "This support eliminates factors that lead to criminal behavior," commented Kohlberger on the results. Neustart conducts violence prevention counseling on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior.

Volunteer Probation Officers

Around 3,075 of the total 12,300 clients in 2024 were supervised by volunteer probation officers. "This civil society anchoring of work with people who have committed crimes is extremely important and unique in Europe," said Kohlberger.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article .