Abstract
<jats:p>The article is devoted to a comprehensive legal analysis of the organisational structure of the State Criminal-Executive Service of Ukraine and the probation system as interconnected elements of the mechanism for the execution of criminal sentences. The study elucidates the normative and legal foundations governing the functioning of the State Criminal-Executive Service, with particular attention to the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the State Criminal-Executive Service of Ukraine”, which define the legal status of its structural components, the system of governance, their organisational powers and institutional role. Special emphasis is placed on examining the functions of the central executive authority in the field of sentence execution, territorial administrative bodies, correctional institutions, pre-trial detention facilities, educational establishments and enterprises of the Service, all of which ensure the implementation of state policy in the sphere of law enforcement and maintenance of legality. The research further analyses the legal grounds of probation activities pursuant to the Law of Ukraine “On Probation”. The functional structure of probation including pre-trial, supervisory and penitentiary probation is identified, and its significance in reducing recidivism, strengthening the social dimension of sentence execution and shaping a model of offender resocialisation aligned with international standards is substantiated. The study emphasises the interrelation between the activities of the State Criminal-Executive Service and the probation system, which ensures a balanced combination of punitive, preventive and rehabilitative functions within criminal-executive policy. A separate focus is placed on the analysis of information and legal support for the professional training of personnel of the Service and probation authorities, which constitutes a key factor in the effective execution of sentences, the protection of human rights and the implementation of modern approaches to working with offenders. It is demonstrated that an integrated system of legal, organisational and methodological instruments contributes to the formation of appropriate professional competence among staff, ensuring effective interaction between state authorities, correctional institutions and probation bodies. Based on the conducted analysis, legal conclusions are formulated regarding ways to enhance the effectiveness of Ukraine’s criminal-executive system and its further harmonisation with the European legal space. Keywords: probation, legal status, execution of sentences, regulatory framework, State Criminal-Executive Service.</jats:p>