Enhancing healthcare provision in Georgia's penitentiary system

The project aims to protect the human rights of prisoners and probationers by improving the quality of the access, provision and organisation of mental health and substance use-related services, as well as other relevant therapeutic and rehabilitation activities.

The project will assist national authorities in further developing appropriate policies and strengthening capacities to ensure equivalence and continuity of healthcare for offenders, in line with Council of Europe standards and best practices. Updated standards and guidance will include gender-sensitive, non-discriminatory, patient-oriented and evidence-based strategies.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO ACHIEVE?

Strengthened policy, regulatory and strategic frameworks for the provision and organisation of mental health care services;
Improved tools and methodologies for national human rights bodies who monitor the quality of the provision of mental healthcare provision in penitentiary and probation systems;
Increased capacity and skills of the management, operational and medical staff of penitentiary and probation systems, as well as the independent monitoring staff.

HOW WILL THE PROJECT WORK?

A combination of needs assessments, expert advice, round tables, working groups and experts’ meetings, and tailor-made training courses will serve to achieve the goal of the project.

The project team works closely with partners, i.e. the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the Public Defender's Office/National Preventive Mechanism and relevant civil society organisations. The project facilitates dialogue between relevant stakeholders to ensure a joint national approach to managing mental healthcare and well-being of offenders. It will support the creation of a multi-disciplinary and holistic methods which consider all situations of vulnerability such as those concerning women, juveniles, persons with disabilities, people who use drugs and LGTBQI people.

The Project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia (2020-2023) and its total budget is 600 000 Euros.

The project started on 1st of April 2022 and runs until the end of December 2023.

The project builds on the achievements of the European Union - Council of Europe joint project “Human Rights and Healthcare in Prisons and Other Closed Institutions in Georgia” (2010-2017), and the previous projects funded by voluntary contributions, namely: the projects on “Improving Mental Health Care of Persons Detained in Georgia” (2018-2019) and “Enhancement of Human Rights and Health-Care Support to Penitentiary System” (2019-2022).

Project documentation

Useful information

Tbilisi office Website

Project news

Back Georgia meets Denmark to improve monitoring of places of detention

Marina ACHA

Modified 2 Years ago.

@ Council of Europe

On 26-29 June 2023, 10 representatives of the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia (PDO), including the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), and of the Georgian Ministry of Justice (in particular the General Inspection Division and Monitoring Department of the Special Penitentiary Service) carried a study visit to Copenhagen, Denmark.

The participants were welcomed and hosted by the representatives of the Danish NPM, the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman, as well as the Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR) and the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY).

Besides, the delegation visited two closed institutions in Copenhagen – Herstedvester Institution, a specialised institution for prisoners with mental health problems, and the Western Prison, the main remand prison. ”.

The visit allowed the Georgian delegation to exchange experiences and learn about Danish best practices on monitoring the provision of mental healthcare in penitentiary institutions, use of monitoring tools, collaboration between the NPM and other monitoring bodies, role of the Istanbul Protocol on effective investigation and documentation of torture, structures and services of Danish penitentiary institutions and common challenges. The study visit also helped the Georgian delegation to establish contacts with their Danish counterparts and discuss future cooperation.

During the study visit, the delegation also met the 2nd Vice-President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), who is a representative of Denmark, to exchange monitoring experiences on mental health issues in prisons and discuss some of the CPT recommendations to Georgia.

The study visit was organised in the framework of the CoE project “Enhancing Healthcare Provision in Georgia’s Penitentiary System” in cooperation with the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Project is funded under the auspices of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia (2020-2023).

Georgia 12 July 2023