On 23 October 2025, the fourth Steering Committee meeting of the Council of Europe Project “Towards More Humane Detention Conditions and Reduced Reoffending in Ukraine” (DECOPRIS) took place in Kyiv, Ukraine

The meeting gathered representatives of the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the State Criminal-Executive Service, the Penitentiary Academy of Ukraine, the Secretariat of the Government Agent before the European Court of Human Rights, the Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the Prosecutor General, international partners, and civil society.

In their opening remarks, Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, reaffirmed the Organisation’s continued support for penitentiary reform as part of Ukraine’s European integration path. Yevhen Pikalov, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, thanked the Council of Europe for its consistent assistance in strengthening the penitentiary system. Donche Boshkovski, Head of Unit II, CPDL, highlighted key achievements of the Project, including the implementation of the “Pathways to Hope” rehabilitation programme for life-sentenced prisoners and the Programme on Managing Professional Burnout among Penitentiary Staff.

The Project team presented the results achieved between May and October 2025 and the work plan for November 2025 – April 2026. Discussions focused on progress in rehabilitation, staff well-being, prevention of torture and ill-treatment, and preparations for Ukraine’s first therapeutic community for people with substance use disorders at Stryzhavska Correctional Colony No. 81.

The Steering Committee members approved the six-month work plan and reaffirmed their commitment to further promoting modern European approaches within the Ukrainian penitentiary.