Kobuleti, Georgia was the venue for the Pompidou Group workshop on presenting the evidence on and benefits of prison-based Therapeutic Communities (TC) for treating substance use disorders,  held on 30-31 July 2024. The event brought together representatives of the Georgian Special Penitentiary Service and Ministry of Justice, as well as medical personnel and rehabilitation service specialists, as well as national and international TC experts to explore the implementation of TCs in Georgian prisons.

The primary objective of the workshop was to provide Georgian authorities with practical information on setting up a TC in prison settings, its notion, objectives, benefits and evidence on the effectiveness in custodial settings. In addition, the workshop aimed to support Georgian authorities, based on similar experience of the Pompidou Group in other countries of the region, in their discussion on introducing the first prison-based TC in the country, likely in Laituri, Western Georgia. Experts from Norway, Romania and the Republic of Moldova shared their experience and expertise in settings up TCs in their respective countries, as well as discussed with the group the feasibility of implementing TCs in the Georgian Penitentiary Service.

By the end of the workshop, the Georgian delegation gained a comprehensive understanding of TCs and their application in various Council of Europe member states. The event marked a significant step toward conducting a feasibility study on introducing TCs in Georgian prisons.

On the second day of the event, the group visited the newly built Laituri prison. The workshop concluded with a plenary discussion reinforcing the commitment of Georgian institutions to further explore the potential for TCs in improving rehabilitation and resocialization efforts within the Georgian penitentiary system.

The workshop was organised under the Pompidou Group component of the Council of Europe project ’’Support to Penitentiary Systems Reforms in Georgia’’. The Project is funded through the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027.