On 28 November 2024 in Chisinau, a closing event of the Project “Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova” brought together beneficiaries, partners, criminal justice system professionals and experts to discuss the results, present institutional priorities and explore future opportunities for cooperation. The Project is part of a broader commitment of the Council of Europe to support reforms in the Republic of Moldova, currently implemented through the 2021-2024 Action Plan.

In his welcoming speech, the head of the Council of Europe office in Chisinau Falk Lange underlined the high level of commitment and growing engagement of partner institutions over the years. On behalf of the Ministry of Justice, State Secretary Ruslan Lungu hailed the support of the project in the development of regulations, especially those related to healthcare that benefit both the prison system and the society at large. 

In the past four years, the Council of Europe supported the Moldovan authorities in improving rules and policies, such as on the provision of health care and management of medicines in the prison system; extending the National Mental Health Programme to prisons and closed environments; developing new policies and procedures on dynamic security, treatment of vulnerable groups of detainees, preventing and combating inter-prisoner violence, combating the expansion of subculture phenomenon in juvenile detention centres. This process was accompanied by the development of tools for building capacities of staff in both prisons and probation to use a more uniform approach to assessment of offenders’ risk and needs; over 150 prison health care staff who took professional development courses had their new qualifications officially recognised.

Furthermore, it supported the authorities in bettering legislation standards through expertise in developing measures and criteria for aligning the new Law on Mental Health and Well-being of the Republic of Moldova to the Council of Europe and other international standards and recommendations as regards involuntary placement, medication, and restriction of the freedom of movement of patients in psychiatric institutions. The Organisation also supported the authorities in improving sublegal acts and by-laws such as those on releasing seriously ill inmates, and on dietary needs and hygiene for all categories of detainees.

Finally, tangible support was provided to improving material conditions through systematic donation of equipment, devices and furniture to medical units, prison hospital and probation pilot centre in Chisinau.

The event also served as an opportunity to present a strategic approach to reducing overcrowding in prisons in line with Council of Europe recommendations, developed with the support of the Project after extensive consultations with all relevant actors of the criminal justice system. The proposed measures and an accompanying action-plan will provide the authorities with guidance in their efforts to reducing prison population while using more effectively existing means of criminal justice and concepts of restorative justice.  

In the closing remarks, Raluca Ivan, Head of Unit I of the Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division, reaffirmed the Council of Europe's commitment to continuing this cooperation under the new Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2025-2028.