Enhancing Health care and Human Rights protection in prisons in Armenia

This 30-months project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2019-2022. It is implemented by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and the Penitentiary Medicine Center.

The aim of the project is to further support the national authorities in reforming healthcare provision and human rights for sentenced persons in Armenia in line with the European standards.

Attention will be given to the following three areas:

enhancing regulatory and operational framework for provision of in line with European standards;
improvement of the material conditions and the provision of healthcare in prisons;
capacity building of the Penitentiary Medicine Centre (PMC).

The project will particularly focus on the improvement of prison healthcare services through introduction of new technologies in healthcare services, such as telemedicine and electronic database system of medical records, ensuring protection of healthcare rights of mentally-ill persons in penitentiary institutions, improvement of preventive healthcare, particularly sanitary-epidemiological and hygienic conditions and control mechanism, modernizing hospital/specialized medical care and services in the penitentiary institutions. Project activities should significantly contribute to improving effectiveness, transparency and accountability of penitentiary prison healthcare in general and the PMC in particular. Proper documentation and reporting on indications of torture, ill-treatment, inhumane and degrading treatment will stay in focus and addressed.

The amount devoted to this project is 750,000 Euros and its implementation started in November 2019 to end in December 2022.

Project documentation

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Adopted Strategy for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-harm in Penitentiary Institutions of the Republic of Armenia

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Following the Council of Europe technical cooperation assistance, on 11 December 2020, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia has adopted the Strategy for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-harm in Penitentiary Institutions of the Republic of Armenia and its Implementation Action Plan for the 2021-2022 (herein after the Strategy).

The Strategy aims to ensure specific policies and practical measures in 2021-2022 to prevent suicide and self-harm cases in the penitentiary institutions. It envisages five areas of action, namely (i) legislative framework; (ii) risk and needs assessment tools; (iii) targeted training for the penitentiary and medical staff; (iv) optimal number of psychiatrists and psychologists in penitentiary institutions and improving the quality of services provided; (v) collaboration and information sharing system between the medical and non-medical personnel.

The Strategy was developed within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Enhancing health care and human rights protection in prisons in Armenia financed by the Action Plan for Armenia 2019 -2022 and is available at: link

Armenia 18 December 2020