Prison governors managing all the 12 penitentiary facilities in North Macedonia strengthened their managerial skills and knowledge of the European Prison Rules, during the 2-days capacity-building session during 10-11 December 2024 in Gevgelija.

The two-day session focused on key prison management principles, dynamic security and the reporting procedures, prison ethics and oversight, as well as on crisis management and communication. Together with the Acting Head of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES) Mr Aleksandar PANDOV, overseeing all 12 institutions in the country, the participants had the opportunity to exchange their experiences with two international consultants, as well as practice on real-life scenarios and case studies.

As of July, all but one prison in the country have new governors, who are keen for upgrading their skills critical for the day-to-day prison management. This activity is part of the continuous support provided for the DES Centre for Training and Education, which now delivers basic and continuous structured training for prison staff. Such approach contributes to further progressing with the country’s prison reform agenda and enhancing the protection of the human rights of prisoners and detained persons in line with European standards.

The session was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and its action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.