40 staff members of the Georgian penitentiary and probation system (nurses, social workers, psychologists and mediators) improved their knowledge and practical skills on suicide prevention by attending two training sessions organised by the Council of Europe on 26-27 November and 3-4 December 2022.

The participants became better acquainted with the services, functions, and their own role in implementing the suicide prevention programmes. The sessions, targeting both medical and non-medical personnel, had a special focus on gender-specific issues, and juvenile offenders’ needs. The training programme included modules on identifying signs of suicide intentions and self-harm, factors that increase suicide risk in prisons, self-harming behaviour, and identifying and countering discriminating stereotypes among prisoners.

The humanisation of the penitentiary and probation system entails the protection of fundamental human rights, including care for the physical and mental health of the accused or convicted individuals, care for their physical and emotional safety, whereas the ability of the staff working in prison and probation have a decisive role in identifying and managing high-risk situations, such as self-harm or suicide attempts.

This training was conducted under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Enhancing Healthcare Provision in Georgia’s Penitentiary System”, which is a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023.