During 11-14 November 2024, a four-day training of trainers (ToT) on the topic: "Preparation for training of penitentiary staff on the implementation of the Rehabilitation Programme for People Who Use Psychoactive Substances and the Programme for Providing Psychological and Psychosocial Support to Prisoners, in Particular Those at Risk of Suicide, as well as on Encouraging Behavioural Changes" was held in Truskavets. The event was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe project "Towards more humane  detention conditions and reduced reoffending in Ukraine" (DECOPRIS), in cooperation with the Department for Execution of Criminal Sanctions (SDECS) of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

The ToT was moderated by two experienced national Council of Europe experts – Yulia Paskevska and Yevhenii Ivashev. The training programme included a number of interactive sessions aimed at developing practical skills of the future trainers. The participants worked on both general professional competences in organising and conducting training sessions and the specific skills required to train prison staff on the implementation of two rehabilitation programmes.

This training is an important step towards enhancing professional capacities of penitentiary staff and will contribute to the humanisation of the penitentiary system in Ukraine, in particular by helping SDECS to create the necessary preconditions for a national roll-out of these rehabilitation programmes, which were previously successfully piloted in 13 prisons.

The Council of Europe DECOPRIS project will continue to support the further implementation of the Rehabilitation Programme for People Who Use Psychoactive Substances and the Programme for Providing Psychological and Psychosocial Support to Prisoners, in Particular Those at Risk of Suicide, as well as on Encouraging Behavioural Changes, and will provide expert and organisational support for further cascade trainings for penitentiary staff from different regions of Ukraine.