Upon request of the national authorities of Cyprus and Slovenia, the Pompidou Group organised two expert visits to assess the state of implementation of international standards on drug treatment in prisons. The visits conducted in June 2024 addressed specific recommendations and the checklist included in the Guidance Paper on developing strategies for raising standards on drug treatment in the criminal justice system, elaborated by the Pompidou Group for the South-East European region under its Criminal Justice and Health in Prison Programme. The checklist guides prison administrations and national authorities in assessing the implementation of international and human rights standards related to drug treatment and rehabilitation of people with substance use disorders (PWSUD) in custodial settings and applying strategies for improving their operationalisation.
The visits, and the following assessment reports with recommendations produced by the experts, will serve to assist the authorities of both countries in developing a comprehensive and human rights-based approach for the treatment and rehabilitation of people with substance use disorders in custodial settings. They provide a basis for discussing ways of addressing challenges experienced by penitentiary institutions in meeting the needs of people with substance use disorders, as well as for strengthening regional co-operation in South-East Europe. The takeaways from the visits, and a previous similar visit conducted in Montenegro in 2023, will be presented to the other members of the Pompidou Group’s South-East European co-operation group of prison professionals at their fourth study visit, which will be held in Strasbourg, France, on 24-26 September 2024.
17-18 June 2024, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Over the course of two days, international experts from the Pompidou Group met with representatives of the Slovenian State Penitentiary Department to examine, assess and advise on plans to develop two prison-based therapeutic communities (TCs) for treating substance use disorders, in line with Recommendations No. 6 on implementing prison-based therapeutic communities and No. 3 on continuity of treatment, of the Pompidou Group’s Guidance Paper. Practical challenges related to applying therapeutic communities as a treatment approach in different prison settings, both in male and female prisons, were discussed between the visited experts and representatives of the national penitentiary authorities.
The second day included a visit of the prison facility where one of the therapeutic communities is planned to be introduced, and discussions with prison professionals working in the facility as well as with civil society representatives operating similar programmes in the community.
19-20 June 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus
At the invitation of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (NAAC), Council of Europe experts provided a set of proposals for the establishment of a day-care unit for people with substance use disorders, within the prison complex in Nicosia, in light of Recommendation No. 6 of the Guidance Paper, focusing on providing treatment opportunities for PWSUD who use substances other than opioids. The first day featured discussions involving representatives from health services and practitioners co-ordinating social support and rehabilitations programmes for PWSUD, hosted by NAAC.
The second day, a field visit took place to the prison facilities in Nicosia including exchanges with representatives from the Cyprus Prisons Department as well as prison staff and NAAC, and a tour of the different facilities of the complex, including the prison infirmary. Experts and the involved stakeholders discussed especially the design of evaluation metrics and criteria to implement, maintain and improve the rehabilitation offer already in place.
Find out more about the Pompidou Group’s related work:
Standards for treatment of people with drug use disorders in custodial settings