22-26 June 2015, the Council of Europe (CoE) is organising a study visitin the United Kingdom on internal inspection of prisons for representatives of the Ministry of Corrections (MoC). The study visit is organised in the framework of the EU/CoE joint programme “Human Rights in Prisons and Other Closed Institutions”.

Preventing and combating ill-treatment in the penitentiary system requires strong monitoring capacities of MoC. The programme is actively working to strengthen monitoring and investigative functions of different state bodies and this study visit is a part of it. It will provide the participants with a closer insight into the experiences of the prison inspection system in the UK and assist the MoC in the on-going reform of internal inspection.

During these five days, the Georgian participants will visit Her Majesty’s Inspectorates of Prisons in London and Edinburgh as well as the independent monitoring board, Office of the Prisons and Probations Ombudsmen and Care Quality Commission there. Senior officials from the host institutions will give an overview of prison monitoring process, how it is organised and what standards are applied.  Among other issues, the Georgian delegation will also learn about the work of the National Preventive mechanism in UK and the Scottish experience in introducing an independent prison monitoring. 

The EU/CoE Joint Programme “Human Rights in Prisons and Other Closed Institutions” was launched in July 2013. It aims to strengthen human rights and improve access to healthcare for persons deprived of their liberty