Newsroom
Ukrainian senior officials explore Council of Europe standards in prisons during study visit to Strasbourg
Strasbourg, 15-16 April 2025 A multi-disciplinary delegation of senior Ukrainian officials conducted a two-day study visit to the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, deepening cooperation on penitentiary reform. The delegation included the Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, the...
Increasing the efficiency of North Macedonia’s penitentiary network – stakeholders discuss key recommendations
Increasing the efficiency of North Macedonia’s penitentiary network – stakeholders discuss key recommendations
Prison governors, judges, representatives of Ombudsman’s Office, the academia and civil society representatives gathered in Skopje to discuss key recommendations to increase the penitentiary network efficiency, following the assessment mission that took place in January 2025, supported through...
Republic of Moldova: Local Consultancy Services in the areas of prison management, rehabilitation, probation, provisions of health care in prisons and treatment of patients in psychatric institutions
The Council of Europe and it’s office in the Republic of Moldova, within the framework of the Project “Further Strengthening the prison and probation systems, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova”, are launching a competitive bidding...
Council of Europe provides further support in strengthening well-being and mental health of prison staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Following the development of the Guidelines on well-being of prison staff working with violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and other prisoners prone to radicalisation, the first working group meeting on the development of the training plan and programme for the well-being of prison staff was held...
Continuation of the cooperation with the Romanian authorities on health care in closed institutions
The Council of Europe continues to support the Romanian authorities in the framework of the project “Further strengthening the provision of health care and mental health care in prisons and other closed institutions in Romania (phase 2)”. The beginning of a new chapter was marked with its first...
Improving penitentiary healthcare system – North Macedonia’s and Kosovo* authorities exchange best practices
A delegation from North Macedonia, consisting of medical personnel working in penitentiary institutions, senior officials of the Ministry of Health, as well as the Acting Head and key representatives of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES), visited Kosovo on 3-4 April 2025. The...
Social care professionals enhanced their knowledge and skills on procedural framework in the treatment of persons with severe mental, learning, and physical disabilities
Following the development of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the daily operations of Special Institute for Persons with Mental and Physical Disabilities (SIS) in Kosovo*, a two-day training session on the application of these protocols was organised on 2 - 3 April 2025 to strengthen...
Moldova Prison Staff Better Equipped to Address Health Needs of Prisoners
First group of 30 staff members from 13 penitentiary institutions of the Republic of Moldova were trained on medical examination upon admission, on documenting and reporting ill-treatment, and on managing individual medical files, statistics and registry books. The training covered important...
Probation counsellors enhance skills for implementing the new programme on reducing violent behaviour in probation
60 probation staff from 35 Probation Offices participated in training sessions on implementing the new programme for reducing aggressive and violent behaviour among offenders under probation. Designed to equip probation counsellors with practical, evidence-based tools to support behavioural...
New rehabilitation programme for prisoners with alcohol addiction available for the Moldovan penitentiary system
60 specialists from all prisons and the National Administration of Penitentiaries (NAP) of the Republic of Moldova participated in training sessions on implementing the new Programme for rehabilitation of prisoners with alcohol addiction, which took place between February and March 2025 in...
Workshops in Georgia improve civil society’s knowledge of European standards on police accountability
Two workshops took place over the last two weeks in the Georgian regions of Adjara and Kakheti to discuss European standards on police accountability with civil society organisations. Organised under the Council of Europe Project "Enhancing a Human Rights-Compliant Approach in Law Enforcement...
Council of Europe supports the Ministry of Health of Kosovo* to further strengthen the provision of healthcare in prisons
The Council of Europe continues to support the enhancement of the healthcare of prisoners in line with the Council of Europe and other international standards. Therefore, following the initial revision of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Prison Health Department (PHD) of the...
Albanian Prison Directors and Chiefs of Prison Police increased their knowledge on leadership and prison management, in line with Council of Europe standards
The EU and Council of Europe are continuing the close collaboration with the Training Center for prison staff in Albania to raise the capacities of Albanian prison management, through trainings tailored to the needs of main beneficiaries. To this end, two capacity building sessions were organised...
Council of Europe supports strengthening of prison operational work and interagency co-operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Specialised training on prison operational work, intended for prison security staff acting as points of contact, was organised on 19-21 March 2025 in the State Prison of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The training session provided further support the strengthening of prison operational work within the...
Prison practitioners in Kosovo* learn from their peers in working with violent extremist prisoners
The sustainable and continuous professionalisation of prison practitioners is one of the key prerequisites for ensuring the long-term success of systemic prevention and response to prison radicalisation. It is also at the core of effective and adequate management and rehabilitation of violent...
2025 Police Network Conference: Tackling Femicides and Violence Against Women requires Law Enforcement Action
For the third consecutive year, the Council of Europe Police Network met in Strasbourg. The 2025 conference titled "From Standards to Action: The Role of Law Enforcement in Preventing Femicides and Violence Against Women» brought together law enforcement officials and international experts to...
Council of Europe Continues Support for Modernising Moldova’s Prison, Probation, and Health Care Systems
The Council of Europe project that is aiming to strengthen the prison and probation systems, improve healthcare services, and enhance patient treatment in closed institutions will continue for the next four years. The project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of...
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; 7 April 2025 For more information and for sending your...
Kick-off of two new follow-up Projects in Armenia “Further strengthening the protection of the rights of persons in detention” and “Further strengthening the Probation Service”
The first joint Steering Committee meeting of the Projects “Further strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” and “Further strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia” was held on 13 March 2025 to mark the start of these two Projects. Building upon the results of the...
Cascade Trainings on discipline and reward mechanism for the prison staff in Türkiye
A series of regional cascade training sessions were implemented as the final phase of ongoing efforts to enhance knowledge and practices of prison staff on effective implementation of discipline and reward mechanism in line with international standards and best practices. The experienced prison...
North Macedonia’s authorities discuss the setting of a Standardized register of injuries in prisons
The medical personnel working in penitentiary institutions, senior officials of the Ministry of Health, and the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES) of North Macedonia reviewed the prepared analysis that aims at introducing a Standardized register of injuries. Considering its...
The Council of Europe supports the authorities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in advancing the legal framework on the execution of criminal sanctions
In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), the Council of Europe (CoE) is playing a vital role in enhancing the legal framework regarding the execution of criminal sanctions. Through various initiatives, the CoE is working alongside FBiH authorities to ensure that the domestic...
Women prisoners in Albania welcome the introduction of trauma-informed therapy
The Council of Europe is helping the Albanian prison service to introduce trauma-informed therapy for women offenders. Namely, after the transfer of all women offenders from Ali Demi prison to the newly built Pojska prison near Pogradec, an on-site visit was conducted on 17 February 2025 to visit...
Further supporting the effective reintegration of extremist offenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Council of Europe is continuing to support the institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina towards effective reintegration of persons who have served prison sentences for crimes related to violent extremism through a new one-year project. It builds on previous efforts that focused on improving...
Local Consultancy Services in the areas of police and prisons in Armenia
The Council of Europe and it’s office in Armenia, within the framework of the Project “Further Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty”, are launching a competitive bidding procedure to select local consultants for the provision of intellectual services. Areas of...
Strengthening Effective Investigations into Ill-Treatment Cases in Montenegro
This training on effective investigation marks the completion of the first round of specialised training for prosecutors responsible for investigating allegations of ill-treatment in line with Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights, and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture...
Police trainers in Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen human rights policing
Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Police trainers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are now set to deliver more effective and human rights-compliant training following a Train-the-Trainer programme held on 28-29 January 2025. The training helped 24 professionals from Police Academies improve their...
Mental health care and correctional staff in Kosovo* enhanced their knowledge and skills on procedural framework in the treatment of persons deprived of liberty
After having successfully assisted the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry of Kosovo (IFPK) in the development of their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), a two-day training session on its practical application was organised on 30-31 January 2025. The aim of the training was to enhance knowledge...
Crafting new beginnings for inmates: woodworking centre opens in Sevan prison in Armenia
A major step forward towards rehabilitation of inmates was marked today with the opening of a woodworking centre at Sevan Penitentiary, by the Minister of Justice of Armenia and the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan. The newly renovated facility, equipped with modern woodworking...
Enhancing probation services in Kosovo*: training probation officers on rehabilitation, reintegration and preparation for release
The Council of Europe continues to assist the Kosovo Probation Service in strengthening its capacities related to managing violent extremist offenders (VEOs). In fact, probation services play a significant role in supervising individuals upon early or conditional release; therefore, the Council...
Council of Europe supports and develops treatment programmes for sentenced persons in Serbia
The Heads of Treatment Departments of all 29 Serbian penitentiary institutions met yesterday in Belgrade to discuss standardising the implementation of the current treatment programmes for prisoners and to learn about new ones which will be available as of next year. This was their 4th annual...
Conference on results of piloting correctional programmes in penitentiary institutions of Ukraine: achievements, challenges and future plans
On 12 December 2024, the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Department for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, held a conference to present the results of the piloting of two correctional programmes – the "Programme for providing psychological and...
Rehabilitation where it is most needed: Armenia certifies social workers to aid prison reform
A significant milestone in Armenia’s prison reform efforts was celebrated on 18 December 2024 at a ceremony where social workers from 10 penitentiary institutions were awarded certificates following their successful completion of a comprehensive training programme. The ceremony, which brought...
Heads of closed institutions trained on documenting and reporting ill-treatment in line with Istanbul Protocol
Following a very successful awareness raising training for technical and operational staff from all closed institutions in Kosovo* that took place in November, an additional similar training was organised for all prison directors and the heads of the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and the...
Albanian prison staff get introduced to structured professional judgment in forensic psychiatry
The Council of Europe is helping Albanian institutions improve the treatment of forensic patients by guiding doctors and psycho-social staff of Lezha special institution on the use of modern diagnostic tools. A two-day training was held in Tirana on 10-11 December 2024, bringing together 16...
Strengthening support for inmates and probationers: collaborative approaches to rehabilitation
A workshop held in Armenia on 14-15 December 2024 brought together representatives from the Penitentiary and Probation services, experts, and civil society to discuss ways to improve rehabilitation programmes for inmates and probationers. It focused on reducing reoffending and promoting...
Human Rights Day spotlight in Yerevan: students excel in penitentiary essay contest
The Council of Europe and Yerevan State University have joined efforts to host an inspiring essay competition to celebrate the Human Rights Day on 13 December 2024 in Yerevan, Armenia. The event focused on the role of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Committee for the...
Working Group discusses amendments to Armenia’s Probation Law
On 5 December 2024, a Working Group meeting was held in Yerevan with a focus on the draft legislative package amending the Law on Probation, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Penitentiary Code. This initiative reflects Armenia's commitment to aligning its probation system with international...
Enhancing probation services in Kosovo*: training probation officers on rehabilitation, and reintegration and preparation for release
The Council of Europe continues to assist the Kosovo Probation Service in strengthening its capacities related to managing violent extremist offenders (VEOs). On 11-12 December, 19 probation officers representing four (out of seven) Regional Directorates gathered for a cascade training aimed at...
Prison governors in North Macedonia enhanced management skills and knowledge of the European Prison Rules
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,...
Final Steering Committee meeting of ESPA-VEP project in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The final Steering Committee (SC) meeting of the project “Ensuring sustainable penitentiary actions in managing rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (ESPA-VEP) took place on 4 December 2024 in Banja Luka. The SC gathered all prison directors and representatives...
Strengthening operational work for reintegration of violent extremist prisoners: towards safer prisons and society
Information exchange is the essence of cooperation and coordination between prisons, law enforcement agencies and security agencies. Maintaining a constant flow of information between all relevant actors is of key importance for achieving good results in the field of prevention of violent...
Armenia advances efforts to prevent ill-treatment in police detention facilities
Safeguarding human rights protection of persons deprived of liberty was in the focus of the Council of Europe specialised training sessions aimed at preventing ill-treatment and documenting alleged cases of it in police detention facilities in Armenia. Over 90 representatives from the Ministry of...
Albanian prison staff trained on delivering cognitive behaviour treatment programme
Further to the initial training provided in June 2024, Albanian psychosocial prison staff strengthened their competencies regarding the principles and methodology of the cognitive behaviour treatment (CBT) programme. To this end, an advanced training was held on 4-5 December 2024 in Tirana,...
Success of a four-year action to support prisons, probation and health care in closed institutions in Moldova
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...
More wellbeing and mental health for staff working with violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The main driving force in preventing and combating radicalisation and extremism inside prisons is their staff. Therefore, investing in human potential, providing a system of professional development as well as protecting well-being and mental health of staff is crucial for ensuring effective...
Exploring forensic psychiatry and mental health nurse specialisation
On 26 November, the Council of Europe together with the Ministry of Health and the National Administration of Penitentiaries of Romania organised an online seminar on “Forensic psychiatry and mental health nurse specialisation: good practices and prospects“. During the event the participants had...
Management of professional burnout: strategic session for workers of the penitentiary system
On 14-16 November 2024, a strategic session on "Identifying the needs for managing professional burnout for staff of the penitentiary system of Ukraine" was held in Truskavets. The main goal of the session was to identify the existing needs, problems and opportunities related to the management of...
Strengthening rehabilitation in Ukraine’s prisons: training of trainers for penitentiary psychologists
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...
Assessing inter-institutional cooperation and exchange of information during pre-release and post-penal processes for violent extremist prisoners in North Macedonia
For effective rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and other prisoners vulnerable to radicalisation the cooperation and exchange of information between local institutions are crucial. Only in this way a proper support that covers all aspects of one’s life can be...
Inter-institutional cooperation on rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist prisoners in Bosnia and Herzegovina enhanced
Rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and other prisoners vulnerable to radicalisation demands holistic approach in order to cover their needs but also to be aware of the risks for safe and inclusive society. Therefore, it should be ensured that rehabilitation and...
Council of Europe supports discussion of best practice and standards of health care in prisons
Following a fact-finding mission on the organisation of healthcare within the prison system in the Republic of Moldova, on 25 November 2024 the national stakeholders were presented with a comparative analysis of existing models of healthcare organisation in prisons in different Council of Europe...
Training of Trainers for the prison staff in Türkiye
As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance training methodologies and practices for prison staff, a Training of Trainers (ToT) was delivered from 18 to 22 November 2024 in Ankara. The training was aimed at equipping 25 experienced trainers from different prisons in Türkiye with the skills and...
Alternative sanctions and measures for violent extremist offenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina: assessing the opportunities and challenges
Why use alternative sanctions and measures for violent extremist offenders (VEOs)? Why establish probation service for VEOs in Bosnia and Herzegovina? How would probation regime benefit inmates, including VEOs belonging to vulnerable categories and women? What pre-conditions should be met to...
Advancing Armenia’s probation services: building a foundation for effective alternative sanctions
In a significant step forward for the criminal justice reform of Armenia, the Council of Europe project Strengthening the Probation Service in Armenia, has achieved remarkable milestones in reinforcing Armenia's probation services over the past year. This among others included the support in the...
Strengthening criminal justice and inter-agency cooperation: Armenian delegation's study visit to the Council of Europe
An Armenian delegation comprised of representatives from the Penitentiary and Probation services of Ministry of Justice visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for an informative study visit on 13 and 14 November 2024. The purpose of the visit was to increase awareness and understanding of...
Strategy and Action Plan on mental health for the Romanian penitentiary system is now available
A draft Strategy and Action Plan on mental health for the Romanian penitentiary system for 2024-2029 were presented and discussed online on 12 November 2024. The draft Strategy and Action Plan were developed by an intersectoral Working Group involving representatives of the National...
The Council of Europe and Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination dialog with prisoners in Albania
The Council of Europe joined efforts with the Albanian Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination to discuss with remand prisoners in Elbasan pre-detention centre their rights, treatment and protection from discrimination. Namely, on the occasion of promoting a new library in Bradashesh...
Regional Round Table fosters gender equality and inclusion in policing
The Division for Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty of the Council of Europe hosted on 6-7 November a regional round table in Podgorica, focused on advancing gender equality within law enforcement agencies across the Western Balkans. Police professionals and policymakers from...
Healthcare and correctional staff from closed institutions trained on documenting and reporting ill-treatment
The Council of Europe continues to support Kosovo* in preventing torture and ill-treatment in prisons and other closed institutions. Following the development of protocols on documenting and reporting ill-treatment and relevant tools, including the incident report and the checklist of injuries,...
Commitment to cooperation is essential for success in preventing radicalisation and countering violent extremism in prisons in the Western Balkans
The 4th Steering Committee meeting of the Regional Action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release” was held on 30 October 2024 in Podgorica, Montenegro. Beneficiary representatives from Albania,...
Montenegrin prison and probation practitioners receive Basic and Advanced Training Curricula on working with violent extremist prisoners
Basic and Advanced Training Curricula for prison and probation practitioners working with violent extremist prisoners and prisoners at risk from radicalisation in Montenegro were presented to the management of the Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Ministry of Justice, and prison...
Second Steering Committee meeting of DECOPRIS Project
On 28 October 2024, the second Steering Committee meeting of the Council of Europe Project “Towards More Humane Detention Conditions and Reduced Reoffending in Ukraine” (DECOPRIS) took place in Kyiv. The event gathered key national penitentiary reform stakeholders, including representatives from...
Building training, mentoring, and monitoring skills for further empowering prison staff and strengthening capacities within penitentiary institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina
A training session aimed at enhancing skills in training, mentoring, monitoring, and evaluation was held on 22-23 October in Sarajevo for the project's core group of local trainers, as well as participants from the justice ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia and...
More Kosovo* practitioners enhance skills for providing occupational therapy
Following a successful delivery of cascade trainings on occupational therapy (OT) in February and March this year and based on a request of the project partners and beneficiaries, three additional trainings of two days each on this important form of therapy were organised between August and...
Psycho-social staff of Albanian penitentiary institutions develop pre-release action plans for prisoners
The Council of Europe is helping to improve reintegration prospects for Albanian prisoners that are about to return to the community, by raising the capability of prison staff to develop pre-release plans. With this aim, 20 prison professionals working in 10 prisons around the country and...
Call for candidates for a secondment in the field of Police
The Council of Europe is launching a call for candidates for secondment in the field of Police. Would you be interested in joining the Co-operation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division as a Programme Manager on Police matters, please check the announcement published on the Council of...
Coordination meetings on beneficiary-specific component for Kosovo*
During his visit to Kosovo on 4 October 2024, the Regional Programme Manager of the HF15 Regional Action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release” Predrag Šofranac met the local main beneficiaries...
Coordination meetings on beneficiary-specific component for North Macedonia
On 3 October 2024, the Regional Programme Manager of the HF15 Regional Action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release” Predrag Šofranac met the main beneficiaries of the regional action in North...
High-level officials of North Macedonia discussed necessary interventions following latest report of the Council of Europe Committee against Torture
In a high-level meeting, senior officials working on prison reform discussed the way forward to address the key challenges stemming from the main findings of the European Committee against Torture (CPT) 2023 report on North Macedonia. The event was attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry...
Piloting of Policy Paper and Standard Operating Procedures concerning disciplinary and reward practices in Türkiye
Between 30 September and 4 October 2024, pilot visits were conducted at five prison facilities in Türkiye, including Sincan Juvenile Prison, Nevşehir E-Type Prison, Kayseri Women's Prison, Boğazlıyan T-Type Prison, and Çorum L-Type Prison. These visits aimed to pilot the newly developed policy...
Prison healthcare in Moldova to incorporate best European practices
A fact-finding mission on the current organisation of healthcare within the prison system, reinforced by the expertise of Council of Europe consultants Jorg Pont, Marzena Ksel and Svetlana Doltu, was organised on 1-2 October 2024 in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. In line with the longstanding...
Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing within Romanian penitentiary system
From 16 to 24 September 2024, four teams of trainers composed of medical and non-medical professionals passed the knowledge on multidisciplinary management of prisoners with mental health problems to their peers from Botosani, Galati, Baia Mare and Craiova prisons in Romania. In total 106...
New operating procedures for police middle management introduced in Montenegro
The joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro” organized two training sessions for police middle management staff of the Regional Centre “North” on 26-27 September in Bijelo Polje, gathering...
New Council of Europe initiative in Bosnia and Herzegovina to support women in law enforcement
A pilot project aimed at integrating gender perspectives into the work of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s law enforcement sector was officially launched in August 2024. As part of this initiative, two working group sessions have already taken place in Zenica and Banja Luka (on the photo), led by members...
Solitary confinement in prisons and its alternatives: a human rights perspective
Solitary confinement of prisoners is still widely used in many countries in Europe and around the world, although many studies suggest that it is often extremely damaging for prisoners’ physical and mental health and not conducive to their resocialisation. So how to mitigate this damage, and what...
Serbian prison system improves methodology for management and rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners
Prison professionals from treatment and security departments of four detention facilities in Serbia have learned about the latest improvements in the methodology used in identification of signs of radicalisation, assessment of risk and needs, and rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners and...
Healthcare behind bars: Armenia's path to better prison healthcare
On September 17, 2024, Yerevan hosted a conference on the future of prison healthcare in Armenia, bringing together experts, policymakers, and international representatives for intense discussions. The aim of the conference was to explore and evaluate the challenges, achievements, and future...
Council of Europe provides expertise for the establishment of sex-offenders’ only prisons in Greece
Following the decision of the Greek authorities to designate two prisons for sexual offenders, and invitation of the General Secretariat for Anti-crime Policy, Ministry of Citizen Protection, Council of Europe presented the Recommendation CM/Rec (2021)6 regarding the assessment, management and...
Forum on “Effective Work of Psychologists as an Essential Part of Prison System Reform” held in Kyiv
On 28-29 August 2024, the Forum on “Effective Work of Psychologists as an Essential Part of Prison System Reform” was held in Kyiv. The event was organised jointly by the Council of Europe Project “Towards More Humane Detention Conditions and Reduced Reoffending in Ukraine (DECOPRIS)” and the EU...
Enhancing Armenia's Probation Service through targeted training
In an important effort to enhance the rehabilitation of probationers, Armenia recently hosted a specialised training of trainers from 20 to 22 August 2024, in Yerevan. This event brought together experts from the Probation Service and the Centre for Legal Education and Rehabilitative Programmes...
Empowering the next generation of human rights defenders - Council of Europe hosts summer school to promote human rights compliance in Georgia
Lopota, Georgia, July 19-26, 2024 – The Council of Europe brought together 42 law students from various Georgian universities for a Summer School to deepen their understanding of human rights and strengthening their advocacy skills. The Summer School provided participants with a comprehensive...
Innovating prison healthcare: Armenia’s advancement in telemedicine
Recognising its importance, the Council of Europe has consistently supported Armenian national authorities in enhancing healthcare accessibility for individuals deprived of liberty by integrating telemedicine into prison healthcare strategies. This included a needs assessment, policy...
Albanian prison service equipped with incident protocol for prisoners with mental health disorders
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...
Council of Europe enhances skills of mental healthcare professionals and correctional staff on psychosocial programmes and rehabilitation methods
Mental healthcare professionals and correctional staff should constantly strengthen their practical knowledge and skills and be aware of international standards and good practice to be able to provide appropriate treatment to persons deprived of liberty. Therefore, a three-day training on...
Rehabilitation over punishment: Armenia adopts risk and needs assessment tool for convicts
On 02 July 2024 a Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tool for convicts was adopted by decree of the Minister of Justice of Armenia, marking a paradigm shift in the approach to resocialisation of persons deprived of liberty. This tool must now be applied across all penitentiary institutions to assess...
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...
European Prison Rules
