Albanian prison service equipped with incident protocol for prisoners with mental health disorders - Cooperation in police and deprivation of liberty

Back Albanian prison service equipped with incident protocol for prisoners with mental health disorders

Marina ACHA

Modified 1 Month ago.

@ Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is assisting the Albanian prison service to further improve the treatment and protection of prisoners’ rights, this time by developing a unified guidance related to the reaction of prison staff to incidents that involve prisoners with mental health disorders.

Namely, the first draft of the Incident Protocol developed and shared with the prison authorities was further discussed and improved during a working group meeting on 3-4 July 2024 in Tirana. The multi-disciplinary working group brought together 17 professionals including doctors, psychologists, and prison police who offered their feedback and contribution in fine-tuning the provisions of the draft Protocol to the Albanian context while incorporating Council of Europe standards.

This Protocol will stand as an annex to Standard Operating Procedures in respect of prisoners with mental health disorders, developed during Horizontal Facility II, and will regulate the practice of first reaction, means of restrain, separation, voluntary and involuntary treatment for prisoners with mental health disorders.

The WG meeting was organised under the action “Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania”, which is part of a joint initiative of the European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026”.

Tirana, Albania 3-4 July 2024

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Through bilateral co-operation activities and projects, the Division for Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty plays a major role in assisting the beneficiary countries to integrate the Council of Europe standards in their penitentiary, probation and law enforcement institutions. The work related to prisons, probation and the police is an integral part of the overall work of the Council of Europe related to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, the three pillars of the raison d’être of the Organisation, in accordance with its Statute. The main objective is to help the Member States improve their legislation and practice related to the work of the police as well the execution of penal sanctions and measures.

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