The Council of Europe's DECOPRIS project continues to support the implementation of rehabilitation programmes in penitentiary institutions in Ukraine. To date, two key programmes have been developed and tested:

• Rehabilitation of people who use psychoactive substances helps prisoners to understand the nature of their addiction, overcome it and form a new behavioural pattern.
• Psychological and psychosocial support for prisoners - aimed at reducing suicide risks, supporting the emotional state of prisoners and creating positive changes in their lives.

To ensure the effective implementation of these programmes, DECOPRIS is introducing a cascade training model that allows the penitentiary system to train its own staff in the future.

Why is this important?

This approach not only transfers knowledge, but also creates a system of professional development in which psychologists in penitentiary institutions who have received specialised training and tested programmes become trainers for their colleagues.

Key learning outcomes:

• Co-coaching and teamwork training - effective transfer of experience between specialists.
• Discussing practical challenges in implementing programmes and finding solutions.
• Strengthening the professional methodological training of psychologists.
• Creating a system of mutual support and continuous professional development.

Representatives of the following Interregional Departments participated in the training sessions held in March:

• Central Region,
• Central-Western Interregional Department,
• South-Eastern Interregional Department.

The DECOPRIS project continues to support penitentiary reform by expanding opportunities for professional training and implementing correctional programmes in correctional facilities.

Cascade trainings create a self-sufficient system of training for specialists, which is an important step towards ensuring effective rehabilitation of convicts and their social adaptation.

We thank all participants for their active cooperation, and the Department for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions for supporting these initiatives!

The Council of Europe project “Towards More Humane Conditions of Detention and Reduced Reoffending in Ukraine” (DECOPRIS) is implemented within the framework of  the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023–2026). DECOPRIS aims to enhance the protection of prisoners’ rights by improving prison management practices and advancing rehabilitation efforts.