On 20-21 October representatives of the Serbian Prison Administration participated in a study visit Ireland designed to provide more detailed insight into Irish system of forensic mental health.

The Serbian delegation was led by Mr Dejan Carevic, Director of Prison Administration and composed of heads of sections in the Prison Administration, Governor of Special Prison Hospital, his deputy and two psychiatrists.

The delegation visited the new Central Mental Hospital in Portrane - Dublin and benefited from witnessing latest trends and best practices in terms of forensic mental health being applied in practice and learned about risk and needs assessment tools and their application in practice. Reintegration of forensic patients was another area of interest of the study visit and participants used the opportunity to enhance their knowledge on it thanks to the visit to West Lodge residences for forensic patients, which represents a first step into community after leaving the hospital.

Mountjoy prison was also visited where Governor Tracy and his team shared the procedures utilised in treatment of mentally unwell prisoners in prison setting.

The participants expressed great satisfaction with the visit and valuable insight gained, that will be put to use in preparation of establishment of a new specialised forensic hospital in Serbia.  

The visit was organised in the framework of the Project “Enhancing Human Rights Protection for Detained and Sentenced Persons in Serbia”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe within the framework of “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey II”.