Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova

The Programme ”Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova” is in line with the strategic priorities for cooperation as formulated in the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2017-2020, and is funded by the Norwegian government.

It is aimed to ensure a higher respect for human rights and the rule of law by assisting the national authorities in building up an efficiently functioning criminal justice system, in line with European human rights standards, and based on the principles of humanisation, resocialisation and restorative justice.

Main intervention areas will cover policy/legal framework, institutional and practical implementation levels, with the focus on:

Consolidation of criminal justice policy, legislation and judiciary practice in line with international standards with respect to the liberalization of criminal proceedings, including strengthening the application of non-custodial pre-trial preventive measures and sanctions, alternative sanctions in criminal cases, improvement of probation services and release on parole mechanisms
Better treatment and resocialisation of inmates by improving the regulatory and policy framework as well as prison staff capacities relevant to regime arrangements and management of prisons, implementation of treatment programmes and provision of health care services for inmates;
Support towards the development of the capacities of criminal justice stakeholders in the light of the implementation of the on-going reforms, including judiciary, prosecution service, as well as Ombudsperson’s institution and National Prevention Mechanism (NPM).

The Programme is expected to be implemented in 36 months (as of 1 March 2018).

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Revision and further development of risk and needs assessment tools on pre and post release from prison in the Republic of Moldova

The Council of Europe, under the auspices of the programme “Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova”, funded by the Government of Norway and implemented by the Council of Europe, is assisting the penitentiary and probation authorities in the Republic of Moldova in revising and further developing the existing system of risk and needs assessment tools used in penitentiary and post-release.

During the first Working Group (WG) meeting, which took place on 08-09 November 2018 in Chisinau, participants examined the existing practices and tools used by the penitentiary and probation systems for assessing the needs of detainees in preparation for release.

Concluding the meeting, it was agreed inter alia that the WG will focus on the instruments applicable to detainees conditionally released before term and those released from detention following the full execution of the term of imprisonment. This will also seek to streamline the cooperation mechanism between the National Administration of Penitentiaries and the National Inspectorate of Probation, and other entities with competences inherent to the process of detainees’ social reintegration, in order to ensure a smooth and assisted transition from detention to probation supervision, or assistance.

The WG session was attended by the representatives of specialised Departments of the National Inspectorate of Probation and the National Administration of Penitentiaries of the Republic of Moldova, and was facilitated by one Council of Europe consultant.

Chisinau 8-9 November