Newsroom
Professional judgment on violent extremist and radicalised prisoners has to be verifiable and factual
How to identify signs of radicalisation, perform assessment of risk and make a professional judgment on violent extremist prisoners or marginalised and vulnerable prisoners at risk from radicalisation, and tailor their rehabilitation path, were the main topics discussed at the 2-day training for...
Advancing restraint measures alternative to detention in Armenia
The new Criminal Procedure Code of Armenia extends the catalogue of restraint measures by introducing administrative control and house arrest, the latter being closest to detention in terms of restriction of the rights and freedoms. To ensure the proper implementation of the new provisions of the...
Council of Europe assists Kosovo* institutions in developing protocols on reporting ill-treatment in prisons and other closed institutions
Accurate reporting of ill-treatment in prisons and other closed institutions and its effective investigation, including evaluating the medical evidence, is of utmost importance for preventing and tackling this phenomenon and improving the treatment of prisoners and persons held in other closed...
Establishing alliance with prisoner is the main pre-requisite to rehabilitation, preparation for release and social reintegration
Practical application of the instruments used in screening of signs of radicalisation, risk and needs assessment of violent extremist prisoners (VEP-specific tools), marginalised and prisoners at risk from radicalisation, individual approach to their rehabilitation and their preparation for...
Romanian delegation explores mental health care system of the UK
From 16 to 21 June, a Romanian delegation comprising of representatives of the National Administration of Penitentiaries and Ministry of Health had an opportunity to explore the mental health care system of the United Kingdom. The aim of the visit was to assist Romanian professionals with...
Penitentiary practitioners of Montenegro enhance their skills for pre-release work and rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners and prisoners at risk of radicalisation
The management of the Montenegrin penitentiary system recognises the need for developing the skills of its front-line practitioners for proper application of specific instruments and approaches to strengthen the rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs), vulnerable and marginalised...
Revising oversight procedures in North Macedonia’s prisons
Improving the prison oversight and reporting procedures put in place by the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES) of North Macedonia was in the focus of the working group that met on 17-18 June 2024. Guided by a Council of Europe international consultant, the DES oversight team visited...
Meeting to finalise Policy documents on disciplinary sanctions and reward practices for prisoners
As the final phase of the process of drafting a policy document and Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) for the implementation of disciplinary sanctions and reward practices for prisoners in Türkiye, a roundtable meeting was held in Ankara on 13 June 2024. The aim of the event was to present the...
Third joint Steering Committee meeting of Armenian projects
Building on the Council of Europe's commitment to support criminal justice reforms in Armenia, the projects “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of the Persons in Detention in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” set the agenda for the second half of 2024. At their...
Strengthening inter-institutional cooperation on rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist prisoners into the society in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Council of Europe is supporting prison staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen their capacities and protocols in managing and rehabilitating violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and effectively reintegrating them into the society. One of the important aspects of this support is...
Albanian prison staff improve their knowledge on delivering cognitive behaviour therapy for prisoners
In response to a request of the Directorate General of Prisons, the Council of Europe provided a dedicated training programme which empowers prison staff to deliver cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in prisons. To this end, a two-day training was held on 12-13 June 2024 at the Training Centre...
Albanian prison service to adopt trauma-informed therapy for women in prison
The Council of Europe is helping the Albanian authorities to introduce trauma-informed therapy in Ali Demi prison – the only prison in the country for women offenders. In this context, a two-day training on was held on 10-11 June 2024 in Tirana, at the premises of the Training Centre for Prison...
First-of-its-kind joint training for medical professionals in Romania
The joint training, held on 11-12 June in Bucharest brought together medical professionals from the penitentiary system and civilian hospitals of Romania to look into the fundamental human rights of prisoners and explore possibilities of cooperation. The participants had a possibility to learn...
North Macedonia: prison staff strengthen skills to implement tools and programmes for violent extremist prisoners and prisoners vulnerable to radicalisation
The Council of Europe continues to support the penitentiary institutions in North Macedonia by improving staff capacities related to management of violent and extremist prisoners (VEPs), and those vulnerable to radicalisation. In this context, a two-day advanced training session for 13 prison...
Conference on exploring effective approaches to rehabilitation in criminal justice: international insights
The conference, held on June 11-12, 2024 in Yerevan, brought together professionals and experts from different countries to explore effective rehabilitation approaches in criminal justice. Organised by the "Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention" and "Strengthening the...
High-level prison management from Türkiye on a study visit to Spain
Between 4 and 6 June 2024, a study visit to Spain was organised for high-level representatives of the Directorate General of Prisons and Detention Houses (DGPDH), prison management and staff in order to familiarise them with good practices on discipline and reward procedures for prisoners in...
Yerevan State University hosts probation-academia cooperation session
On 10 June 2024, the Faculty of Law at the Yerevan State University hosted an awareness raising session on the importance of probation services and possible cooperation with academic institutions. This initiative, part of the Council of Europe’s efforts to strengthen Armenia’s Probation Service,...
Training of Trainers in Armenia on alternatives to detention
In an ongoing effort to enhance Armenia's Probation Service, the Council of Europe organised a Training of Trainers session on 7-8 June 2024 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. Attended by participants from the Probation Service of Armenia and the Centre for the Implementation of Legal Education and...
Preparation of persons serving long prison sentences for better reintegration into society
A new, comprehensive, and structured reintegration programme for persons serving long prison sentences (over 5 years), has been presented to treatment prison officers from Central, Western and Northern Serbia at the beginning of June. Presentations were organised in Novi Sad and Belgrade and...
Albanian prison and probation staff strengthen skills to implement rehabilitation tools and pre-release programme for violent extremist prisoners and prisoners vulnerable to radicalisation
The Council of Europe continues to support the penitentiary institutions in Albania by improving prison and probation staff capacities related to management of violent and extremist prisoners (VEPs), and those vulnerable to radicalisation. In this context, a 3-day advanced training session for 22...
Monitoring bodies of Montenegro further strengthen their ability to conduct visits to places of detention
The joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” organised a specialised training session for monitoring officers of the National Preventive Mechanism and the Ministry of Justice on 3-4 June in Podgorica....
Workshop in Yerevan addresses ill-treatment documentation issues in police detention facilities
On 5 June 2024 a workshop focusing on the documentation of alleged ill-treatment cases in police detention facilities took place in Yerevan. The presence of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, along with key representatives from various governmental bodies including the Ministry of Health,...
Further strengthening of multidisciplinary work in Romanian Penitentiary system
The Council of Europe continues to strengthen the capacity of multidisciplinary teams from 4 prisons in Romania to effectively manage prisoners with mental health problems. This refresher training for 15 trainees with medical and non-medical backgrounds focused on the barriers that people with...
Training-of-trainers for Probation Service specialists and legal educators in Armenia
To strengthen further the rehabilitation work with probationers in Armenia, a specialised training was conducted from 23 to 25 May 2024 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. The training targeted specialists from both the Probation Service and the ”Centre for Legal Education and Rehabilitative Programmes”,...
Penitentiary psychologists in Ukraine ready to pilot rehabilitation programme on psychological and psychosocial support for prisoners
From 22 to 24 May 2024, 23 psychologists working in different prisons in Ukraine were trained in piloting and practical application of the Rehabilitation Programme on psychological and psycho-social support for prisoners. The goal of the Programme is to achieve positive changes in the behaviour...
Senior penitentiary management set to roll out new Mental Health Standards in prisons
From 17 to 19 May 2024, 15 senior managers from the Special Penitentiary Service completed a two-year plan to implement new mental healthcare standards in prisons for 2025-2026. The dedicated workshop, organised with the support of the Council of Europe, included discussions, presentations, and...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Equipping prison staff with skills to provide peer-to-peer trainings on management of violent extremist prisoners
With the support from the ministries of justice on all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council of Europe has delivered a training of trainers on the management of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) for prison staff from all prisons in the country on 14-17 May, in Sarajevo. The aim of...
Support for North Macedonia’s Directorate for Execution of Sanctions in setting framework for Prison Police intervention teams
A working group of experienced prison officials and senior representatives of Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions met on 20-21 May 2024 in Skopje, to discuss the regulations of Prison Police intervention teams. Introduced as a novelty by the latest amendments to the Law on the Execution of...
Work on Strategy and Action Plan on Mental Health for Romanian penitentiary system has commenced
On 14 May, the first meeting of the inter-agency working group tasked with developing the Strategy and Action Plan on Mental Health for the Romanian penitentiary system took place online. The Working Group includes representatives of the National Administration of Penitentiaries, Ministry of...
Ongoing development of staff Training programme on discipline and rewards for prisoners in Türkiye
Following the second working group (WG) meeting in February 2024 on preparation of a training programme for prison staff on maintaining effective discipline and implementing a reward mechanism for prisoners in line with the Council of Europe standards, the third meeting was organised in Bolu from...
Public consultation on conditional release policies
Public consultation on reforming the system of conditional release in Armenia took place in Yerevan on 15 May 2024. Among the attendees were representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General's Office, Penitentiary Service, Probation Service and relevant NGOs. The aim of the...
Fostering interagency cooperation: workshop empowers collaboration in Armenia's criminal justice system
A recent joint workshop held in Tsaghkadzor on 2-3 May, organised within the framework of two Council of Europe projects – “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention in Armenia” and “Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” – brought together key stakeholders from...
Collaborative workshop advances rehabilitation programmes for violent offenders in Armenia
In an ongoing effort to develop innovative rehabilitation programmes addressing the specific needs of probationers who have issues with violent behaviour, the Council of Europe hosted a two-day workshop at the Probation Service in Yerevan, Armenia, on 29 and 30 April 2024. It focused on creating...
Training of penitentiary psychologists on piloting the Substance use rehabilitation programme
From 29 April to 1 May 2024, a three-day training for psychologists from the State Department for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions of Ukraine took place in Truskavets, Ukraine. The objective of the training was to equip the participants with the necessary skills to pilot a newly developed...
Expert meeting to develop the National Action Plan for implementation of the Penitentiary Reform Strategy until 2026
From 29 April to 1 May 2024 an expert meeting was held in Truskavets, Ukraine, to develop a National (Operational) Action Plan for the implementation of the Penitentiary Reform Strategy for the period until 2026. The meeting was chaired by Olena Vysotska, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine,...
Fostering effective rehabilitation and reintegration support for violent extremist prisoners and prisoners at risk of radicalisation in the Western Balkans region
Equipping violent extremist prisoners and prisoners at risk of radicalisation with practical skills and qualifications that enhance their employment prospects after release and providing them with multi-agency support upon release is crucial for their effective rehabilitation and reintegration....
Official launch and first Steering Committee meeting of the DECOPRIS project in Ukraine
On 23 April 2024, the Council of Europe Project “Towards more humane detention conditions and reduced reoffending in Ukraine” (hereinafter – DECOPRIS) held its Launching event and the first Steering Committee meeting. The Project builds on the results achieved within the EU and the CoE Joint...
Police officers’ human rights training skills certified in Bosnia and Herzegovina
On 16-17 April 2024 in Sarajevo, 10 law enforcement officers were certified to deliver human rights-based training in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This activity is a part of a national trainer accreditation scheme developed in close co-operation with the cantonal and entity Ministries of Interior in...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Prison directors further enhance knowledge on effective management of violent extremist prisoners
For effective management of prisoners, it is essential for senior level prison management to regularly renew and enhance their knowledge of the latest international and domestic developments in the field. Therefore, the Council of Europe organised an awareness raising workshop for all prison...
Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe expresses support to Moldovan authorities in strengthening healthcare in prisons
The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjørn Berge visited the Republic of Moldova. During the two-day visit, he and the Minister of Justice, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru hosted a handover ceremony of important medical equipment to cover the outstanding prison healthcare needs and thus...
Armenian penitentiary system advances resocialisation efforts with risk and needs assessment tool
On 4 April 2024, the Council of Europe organised a workshop aimed at discussing the results of piloting the risk and needs assessment (RNA) tool designed to enhance the resocialisation of convicts. Attended by key figures including the Deputy Minister of Justice, Head and Deputy Head of the...
Capacity building of Albanian Probation Service on rehabilitation of violent extremist offenders
In order to equip the Probation Service of Albania with practical knowledge and skills in assessing risk and needs of violent extremist offenders (VEOs) in relation to the rehabilitation process, the Council of Europe organised a 3-day online training on “Application of the Risk and Needs...
A complaint form for prisoners in Türkiye is being developed
The first working group meeting for developing a template for a standardised complaint form and a data base was organised in Ankara on 1-2 April 2024 with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Ombudsman Institution, and Human Rights and Equality Institution. The...
Annual Conference of the Council of Europe Police Network
The Council of Europe Police Network hosted its annual conference on police data processing, data protection and human rights in Strasbourg from 19 to 21 March 2024. The conference gathered 65 participants, among which 30 represented member states of the Network. In addition, observers to the...
Fifty practitioners in Kosovo* enhance skills in provision of occupational therapy
Following the adoption of the Guidelines for Occupational Therapy (OT), as well as the Training of Trainers (ToT) on OT that took place in January 2024, three 2-day cascade training sessions were organised in the course of February and March 2024. Fifty professionals, mainly from the Prison...
Workshop on reliability check of piloted risk and needs assessment tool in Armenian prisons
In an effort towards enhancing the rehabilitative approach in Armenia’s criminal justice system, a workshop centred on the -reliability check of the risk and needs assessment (RNA) tool during its piloting phase in Armenian prisons was held in Yerevan on 22 March 2024. This workshop attracted...
Roundtable on prevention and effective investigation of ill-treatment by police officers
A roundtable focusing on the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in relation to Serbia concerning ill-treatment in police custody and ineffective investigations into such allegations (Stanimirović v. Serbia group of cases) took place on 19 March in Belgrade. Consultations...
Bosnia and Herzegovina: support to authorities in improving well-being of staff working with violent extremist prisoners
Working with prisoners is a very demanding job; working with violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and prisoners with a tendency to radicalisation can put an additional psychological pressure on prison staff. For the latter to be able to do their job without feeling intimidated or stressed and...
Cooperation Committee of Justice Programme on Czechia within EEA/Norway Grants and meetings with Council of Europe representatives
On 19-20 March, the Council of Europe hosted in Strasbourg the 11th Cooperation Committee (CC) meeting on Justice Programme for Czechia within EEA/Norway Grants. Representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance and Prison and Probation Services discussed, together with the...
20 Prison Directors from Albania trained on leadership skills and prison management
20 prison Directors representing all the Albanian penitentiary institutions, gathered in Tirana from 18-20 March 2024 to attend a leadership and prison management training, delivered by two Council of Europe international consultants and the Head of the Albanian Training Centre for prison staff....
Council of Europe continues supporting national penitentiary and police reform initiatives in Georgia
The Council of Europe Office in Georgia welcomed government officials, members of international and local non-governmental organisations, academia and other stakeholders to the official launching events of the Projects “Support to Penitentiary System Reform” (on 13 March) and “Enhancing Human...
Conference of the Police Network on police databases and data protection
The Council of Europe’s Police Network hosted its annual conference on 19-21 March 2024 in Strasbourg (France). This event was dedicated to “Police data processing - How to harmonize police efficiency with data protection and Human Rights”. It brought together high-ranking representatives of...
Empowering penitentiary personnel: Armenian penitentiary staff trained in suicide prevention
In an effort to address the issue of self-harm and suicide within prison facilities, approximately 130 penitentiary staff members underwent skill-based trainings on suicide intervention plans in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia. The four two-day trainings, which took place in February and March 2024, were...
Council of Europe’s continued assistance to prison and probation reform, health care improvement in Moldova's closed institutions – 6th Steering Committee meeting
29 February 2024, Chisinau – The sixth Steering Committee meeting of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and the treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova” was held in Chisinau. With the...
Focusing on rehabilitation programmes for probationers struggling with addictions
In a collaborative effort to confront pressing challenges surrounding the implementation of rehabilitation programmes for probationers suffering from addictions, stakeholders from different sectors gathered at a workshop organised by the Council of Europe in Yerevan on March 7, 2024. The workshop...
Provision of healthcare in North Macedonia’s prisons: first meeting of cross-sectoral working group enhances coordination at central level
The first meeting of the working group on enhancing central-level coordination for penitentiary healthcare in North Macedonia took place on 5-6 March 2024, bringing together senior officials of the Ministry of Health, the Health Insurance Fund, the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, as...
Support for the use of electronic monitoring in Greece
The Council of Europe continues to provide its very much needed technical assistance to the Greek penitentiary authorities by supporting thematic activities in 2024. In continuation of a past project (2019-2021) and ad hoc activities in 2022-2023, the Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of...
Penitentiary system of Serbia committed to further improvement of rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs)
Representatives of the Ministry of Justice (Department for Execution of Criminal Sanctions), Ministry of Interior (Service for Combating Terrorism of the Criminal Police Directorate), prison practitioners from the security and treatment service, discussed preconditions to making specific...
2024/AO/15 - Local consultancy services in the area of penitentiary in Ukraine
Within the framework of the Project “Towards More Humane Detention Conditions and Reduced Reoffending in Ukraine” the Council of Europe is launching a call for the provision of local consultancy services in order to support the implementation of the project with a particular local expertise in...
North Macedonia: preparation-for-release programmes are a cornerstone for successful rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners
A Working Group (WG) composed of representatives of the North Macedonian Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions and prison professionals from four prison establishments (Idrizovo, Štip, Skopje and Kumanovo) discussed issues related to successful disengagement, rehabilitation and...
Training programme on discipline and rewards for prison staff in Türkiye is being developed
Following the first working group (WG) meeting on training in November 2023, the second meeting was organised in Antalya on 26-27 February 2024 to draft the training programme for prison staff. The meeting brought together 20 specialists including representatives from the Directorate General for...
Kosovo* mental healthcare authorities receive new Standard Operating Procedures
The Council of Europe continues to play a proactive role in promoting its values and standards and ensuring adherence to, and protection of, human rights of prisoners and persons in closed institutions at the highest level. It is in this context that, on 23 February 2024, the Special Institution...
Advancing criminal justice: exploring alternative measures to detention in Armenia
An event of 27 February 2024 on alternative measures to detention in Yerevan marks a significant step towards addressing pressing issues in the criminal justice system of Armenia. The meeting, which brought together key stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Justice,...
Second group of prison staff successfully completed training on management of violent extremist prisoners
The second group of prison staff from Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming from multidisciplinary teams working directly with violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) or inmates at risk of becoming radicalised, have completed all six modules of the new specialised in-house training programme, facilitated by...
Boosting probation staff performance: innovating evaluation and monitoring discussed at working group meeting
The 2nd working group meeting on 16 February 2024 in Yerevan, Armenia of representatives from the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Justice, and the Probation Service in Armenia, discussed the ways of enhancing probation staff evaluation methods. Highlighting a shared commitment to aligning...
North Macedonia’s External Oversight Mechanism stakeholders trained on effective investigations and reviewed their performance, five years after establishment
A total of 22 participants from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption, the Unit for Internal Control, Criminalistic Investigations and Professional Standards of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ombudsman’s Office, and three civil society...
Call for candidates for a secondment in the field of Police
The Co-operation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division is looking for a candidate elligible for a secondment to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (France). Job: Programme Manager in the field of Police Deadline for applying; 15 March 2024 For more information and for sending your...
2024/AO/08 - Local Consultancy Services in the Areas of Police and Law Enforcement in Georgia
Within the framework of the Project “Enhancing Human Rights Compliant Approach in Law Enforcement Institutions in Georgia” the Council of Europe is launching a call for the provision of local consultancy services on policing democratic freedoms, police monitoring and oversight, torture and...
2024/AO/09 - Local Consultancy Services in the Area of Penitentiary System in Georgia
Within the framework of the Project “Support to Penitentiary System Reforms in Georgia” the Council of Europe is launching a call for the provision of local consultancy services in the area of healthcare and rehabilitation in the penitentiary and probation system, with special focus on prison...
Quality preparation for release of VEPs is of key importance for security and safety in society
Preparation for release of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs), marginalised and vulnerable prisoners is of key importance for their resocialisation and the prevention of recidivism once released. This was unanimously acknowledged by the Montenegrin prison practitioners who took part in the 1st...
Skill-based trainings on suicide prevention guidelines for Armenian prison leadership
In an effort to enhance suicide prevention capabilities within Armenian penitentiary institutions, the Council of Europe (CoE) conducted comprehensive training sessions on the guidelines for suicide intervention plans on 30 and 31 January 2024 in Yerevan. The initiative aimed to equip Heads,...
Albania’s high-level officials discussed the necessary interventions following the latest report of the Council of Europe Committee against Torture
Deputy Ministers of Justice and Health and Social Protection, high level prison management and representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ombudsman, alongside with representatives of the civil society, the Council of Europe Co-operation in police and deprivation of liberty Division (CPDL),...
Healthcare and correctional staff trained on application of occupational therapy in prisons and other closed institutions
A 3-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on the application of Occupational Therapy (OT) in prisons and other closed institutions took place from 22 to 24 January in Istog/Istok, in the vicinity of the largest newly developed modern healthcare institution of Dubrava prison in Kosovo.* The ToT followed...
Ceramic workshop donations enhance rehabilitation in Georgia's penitentiary system
In a significant step towards supporting rehabilitation of prisoners, three penitentiary institutions in Georgia have decided to open ceramic workshops. The Council of Europe supported this initiative by providing the necessary equipment. The juvenile inmates in Penitentiary Institution #8, as...
Meeting in Ankara to finalise legal amendments on disciplinary sanctions and reward practices for prisoners
As the final of several working group meetings on drafting amendments to legislation regulating disciplinary sanctions and reward practices for prisoners in Türkiye, a round table meeting was held in Ankara on 18 and 19 January 2024. The aim of the event was to present the amendments and receive...
Development of a Policy paper on Discipline and Rewards mechanism in Türkiye
The second two-day working group meeting on the development of a policy paper concerning a Discipline and Rewards mechanism was held in Antalya from 15 to 16 January 2024. The focus of the meeting was the development of a comprehensive document aimed at effectively implementing discipline and...
Call for proposals on award of a grant to implement a series of activities on establishing inter-agency coordination platforms
The Council of Europe is launching a call for proposals on award of a grant to implement a series of activities on establishing inter-agency coordination platforms within the framework of the Project “Ensuring Sustainable Penitentiary Actions in managing rehabilitation of violent extremist...
Suicide prevention among different populations: improving inter-agency cooperation in Georgia
An Inter-Agency Roundtable on Suicide Prevention among high-risk population groups took place in Tbilisi on 20 December 2023. Over 40 representatives from various national agencies, including the Ministry of Justice (Special Penitentiary Service, National Probation Agency, Juvenile Referral...
Council of Europe hands over IT equipment to State Department for Execution of Criminal Sanctions of Ukraine
On 12 December 2023, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Maciej Janczak met Serhiy Hrechaniuk, Head of the State Department for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions of Ukraine, to hand over computer equipment. The purchase of 40 sets of IT equipment (including personal computers,...
Trainers trained on implementation of the Rehabilitation programme for prisoners with substance abuse in Ukraine
On December 13, 2023, a three-day training for trainers on implementing a rehabilitation programme for prisoners who use psychoactive substances ended in Lviv, Ukraine. The goal of the rehabilitation programme is to support prisoners in developing skills that will allow them to overcome a desire...
Senior management of Ukraine’s penitentiary system visits Council of Europe headquarters
On 11-12 December 2023, a delegation of officials in charge of Ukraine’s penitentiary system, led by Deputy Minister of Justice Olena Vysotska, participated in a study visit to the Council of Europe. The programme of the two-day visit included closing the joint EU and Council of Europe Project...
Children’s corner and bakery oven inaugurated in Kumanovo Prison with EU and Council of Europe support
The 220 inmates of the Kumanovo Prison will benefit from the new bakery oven, and some 90 children will be able to use the children’s corner when visiting their parents and family members. The bakery equipment and the children’s corner, with a total value of more than €17,000 were provided under...
First group of prison staff successfully completed specialised training on violent extremism and radicalisation
Sixteen prison staff from Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming from multidisciplinary teams working directly with violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) or inmates at risk of becoming radicalised, have completed all six modules of the new specialised in-house training programme for prison staff,...
Purchase of consultancy services in the area of prison heath care including the mental health care in Romania
The Council of Europe is launching a call for the provision of local consultancy services in the area health care and mental health care in prisons within the framework of the Project “Further Strengthening the provision of health care and mental health care in prisons and other closed...
Council of Europe assists Kosovo Correctional Services (KCS) in developing tools to identify suicide risks among prisoners
On 4-6 December 2023, in collaboration with the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), a 3-day event on early detection of self-harm and identification of suicide risks in a prison setting was conducted in Istog/Istok, Kosovo.* The main audience of the event comprised 50 KCS uniformed staff,...
Execution of criminal sanctions: refocus from punitive to rehabilitative approach
On 28 and 29 November, the Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division held a multilateral meeting for prison and probation practitioners from the Council of Europe member states, that - traditionally - provided a forum for discussion and exchange of experience on a topic of broad...
Second joint Steering Committee Meeting of Armenian projects
Building on the Council of Europe's commitment to protecting human rights in Armenia, the projects "Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention" and "Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia" set the agenda for first half of 2024. At their joint Steering Committee...
Round-table discussion: collaborative solutions for effective offender rehabilitation
Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Penitentiary Service, Ombudsperson, and civil society gathered in Yerevan on the 5 December 2023, for a round-table discussion on resocialisation needs of persons deprived of liberty. The event aimed to address the crucial issue of helping offenders to...
Officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia explore Portuguese best practices on police training
On 21-23 November 2023, officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and its Academy visited the facilities of Portugal's police training department. The National Direction of Police in Lisbon and Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security (ISCPSI) superior school,...
Good coordination is essential for success of joint efforts to prevent and address radicalisation and violent extremism
Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans (WB) coming from the ministries of justice, prison and probation system and prevention and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) coordinators reiterated their commitment to strengthen safety and security in the WB region, looked back at the accomplishments of...
Synergies and complementarity are vital for efficient prevention and countering radicalisation and violent extremism in Western Balkans
The importance of cohesive and collaborative approach of the different donor initiatives in the Western Balkans (WB) region in the field of prevention and countering of violent extremism (P/CVE) has been just one among many conclusions of the closing conference of Holistic Radicalisation...
Application of new remedy for conditions of detention examined in Greece
Following the amendment of the Penitentiary Code of Greece in 2022, prisoners now have the right to complain before courts about the conditions of their detention in prison and to request improvement of the material conditions as well as compensation. A meeting held on 27 November in Athens,...
New programme for reducing violent behaviour of probationers in the Republic of Moldova
14 representatives from the National Probation Inspectorate (NPI) and 10 territorial Probation Offices of the Republic of Moldova participated in the final Working Group meeting in Chisinau on 27-28 November 2023, to agree on the final structure and content of a new probation programme focused on...
Successful cooperation with Romanian authorities to be continued
On 28 November 2023 in Bucharest, Romanian partners together with the Council of Europe marked the successful completion of the Project “Strengthening the provision of health care and mental health care in prisons in Romania” and announced its continuation. The Project was launched in January...
ESPA-VEP Project continues to support the set-up of prison intelligence mechanism in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The second working group (WG) session on prison intelligence mechanism (PIU) manual and training programme, gathering representatives of entity Ministries of Justice, Bijeljina, Mostar, Tuzla, Banja Luka and Zenica prisons, as well as the State prison, took place on 27-28 November in Brcko. The...
Penitentiary institutions of Armenia prepared for piloting resocialisation risk and needs assessment tool: training sessions for staff
From 22 to 25 November 2023, 36 prison personnel of Armenian Penitentiary institutions gathered in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia for intensive training sessions on the new resocialisation Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tool for convicts that they will later pilot. The training aimed to equip the staff...
Study visit of Moldovan delegation to Prison Service and Probation and Mediation Service of the Czech Republic
16 representatives of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the National Administration of Penitentiaries (NAP) and the National Probation Inspectorate (NPI) of the Republic of Moldova learned best practices from their peers from the Czech Prison and Probation and Mediation Services during a study...
Montenegrin national institutions send a strong message of zero tolerance of all forms of ill-treatment and impunity
A roundtable convened in Budva on 22-23 November gathered key investigating bodies in Montenegro to identify systemic shortcomings and jointly explore optimal solutions for the prevention of ill-treatment and combating impunity. The event was inaugurated by the heads of the State Prosecutor's...
A study visit for Armenian delegation: exploring telemedicine innovations in French prisons
A delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Justice and comprising officials from Armenia's Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and the Prison Medicine Centre sought to gain insights into the well-established telemedicine infrastructure and a comprehensive legal framework governing the prison...
Rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners: practitioners from Western Balkans learn from experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina
On 14 and 15 November 2023, representatives of the ministries of justice and prison administrations of Albania, Kosovo,* Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia visited the High Security State Prison and the Municipality Jajce Centre for Social Welfare in Bosnia and Herzegovina to exchange good...
European Prison Rules
