Prison governors managing the 12 penitentiary facilities in North Macedonia strengthened their managerial skills and knowledge of the European Prison Rules, during the capacity-building session on 10-11 December 2024 in Gevgelija. As of July, all but one prisons in the country have new governors, emphasising the need for upgrading their skills critical for the day-to-day management.

The two-day session focused on key prison management principles, dynamic security and the reporting procedures, prison ethics and oversight, as well as crisis management and communication. Together with the Acting Head of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES), which oversees all 12 institutions in the country, the participants had an opportunity to exchange experience with the two international consultants, as well as exercise on real-life scenarios and case studies.

This activity follows the continuous support provided for the DES Centre for Training and Education, which now carries basic and continuous structured training for the prison staff.

The two-day session was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and its action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.