Starting Tuesday, judges will not receive outside expert opinions to help them decide whether to release detainees from prison, due to a strike action by 450 social workers who assess the extent to which detainees pose a danger to society.

The social workers are taking action because, they claim, their caseloads are too heavy and many of them are forced to pay work expenses, such as travel and phone costs, out of pocket. In addition, they say the government does not allow certain available positions to be filled - such as when a social worker goes on maternity leave or takes a sabbatical - which could ease their burden.

For now, the judges will have to decide whether to put the public at risk by releasing possibly dangerous prisoners, or to hold suspects in custody for an unlimited period.

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The social workers involved in the sanctions also treat suspects accused of violence or sex offenses and question children who have been assaulted; they are also known as "test officers."

"By the nature of their work, they are forced to make house calls across the country and conduct visits to dormitories, trips to courthouses and detention centers - and that's in their private cars, without minimal [financial] participation," said Itzik Perry, chairman of the social workers union. "The heavy caseloads and treatment of weak groups on the margins of society aren't enough: They are also required to finance their work out of their own pockets."

More and more judges are requesting the opinions of the test officers, increasing their workload still further, said Chana Amsalem, who serves in this capacity. The reports include an assessment of the risk that a suspect poses and of the chances that treatment will be successful, as well as an examination of alternatives to imprisonment.

The base salary of a senior social worker of this type, with a college degree and 17 years of experience, is NIS 5,500 a month.

Social Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog and ministry director general Nahum Itzkovitz said they support the test officers' demands, but say their hands are tied by the Finance Ministry and the Civil Service Commission.

The test officers that work with adults conduct a total of more than 31,000 investigations a year and are responsible for the supervision of 16,000 suspects and criminals. Those who work with children care for more than 23,000 youth offenders.

Some 500 juvenile cases - including 30 involving serious sex or violence offenses - are currently awaiting treatment by social workers in Jerusalem alone, said Micha Haran, who heads the test officers' division of the social workers union. The waiting period can extend to six months for juveniles and five weeks for adults.

"The situation is intolerable," said Haran.