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 Training on Opioid Agonist Treatment in Prisons in Georgia

Nino LAPACHI

Modified 3 Years ago.

@ Council of Europe

Over 75 members of penitentiary system personnel (doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, regime and security staff) have increased their awareness about long-term Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) through the series of one-day seminars organised by the Council of Europe in the period 9-13 November 2022 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Opioid Agonist Treatment is a form of substitution therapy aimed at opioid-dependent (for example, heroin-dependent) people. It uses prescribed opioid agonists or partial agonists that have some properties similar to or identical with heroin and morphine on their action on the nervous system, alleviate the withdrawal symptoms and block cravings for the illicit opioids. The most common form of OAT is methadone maintenance treatment. Research has shown that substitution treatment is the most effective way to treat opioid dependence, to reduce risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission and to reduce risk of overdose.

Access to OAT has increased significantly in the civil sector during the past several years, while in prisons OAT accessibility remains at the low level. In accordance with international standards, in countries where OAT is available to opiate-dependent individuals in the community, this treatment should also be available in prisons. Currently OAT is accessible in two prisons, however, the long-term maintenance OAT is planned to be gradually introduced in all prisons in Georgia. Therefore, increasing awareness of the penitentiary staff on benefits of OAT and issues that may arise in the process of its implementation is of a paramount importance for improving the provision of therapy and ensuring smooth introduction of long-term maintenance OAT in prisons.

This training was organised under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Enhancing Healthcare Provision in Georgia’s Penitentiary System”, which is a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023.

Georgia 15 November 2022