Enhancing the Disciplinary and Reward Procedures for Prisoners in Türkiye

The Project on Enhancing the Disciplinary and Reward Procedures for Prisoners in Türkiye aimed to contribute to a safer society that provides full protection of the rights and dignity of persons deprived of their liberty. The main beneficiary was the Directorate General for Prisons and Detention Houses of the Ministry of Justice.

As such, the Project was expected to develop and ensure unified application of a standardised and efficient discipline and reward system that contributes to prisoners’ rehabilitation through numerous activities implemented under the following three components:

revising and strengthening the legislative framework governing the discipline and reward procedures for prisoners,
producing advanced tools to facilitate the unified application of discipline and rewards system in the country and,
enhancing the capacities of prison directors and staff, as well as other stakeholders involved in the execution of criminal sanctions, on the application of discipline and reward procedures.

The key standards in support to the actions undertaken with this Project were set in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) and its case law, European Prison Rules as well as the standards and recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT).

The project started on 01 November 2022 and ended on 31 October 2025, with an overall budget of 1.500.000 €. It was funded by the Council of Europe Human Rights Trust Fund, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Project documentation

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Meeting to finalise Policy documents on disciplinary sanctions and reward practices for prisoners

Nino LAPACHI

Modified 1 Year ago.

@ Council of Europe

As the final phase of the process of drafting a policy document and Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) for the implementation of disciplinary sanctions and reward practices for prisoners in Türkiye, a roundtable meeting was held in Ankara on 13 June 2024. The aim of the event was to present the elaborated Policy Document and SOPs and to collect final comments from all relevant stakeholders.

The meeting brought together high level representatives of the Directorate General of Prisons and Detention Houses (DGPDH), Ankara Bar Association, Ombudsman Institution, Human Rights and Equality Institution, judges, as well as a representative of the Embassy of Belgium and international consultants from the Council of Europe.

The Policy Document and SOPs are designed to facilitate procedures in prisons related to managing discipline and rewards and to ensure that they are in line with the standards of the Council of Europe and international best practices. After the final validation of these important policy tools, the next step will involve endorsement by the DGPDH and a pilot implementation in prisons in Türkiye.

This RT meeting was organised within the scope of the Project on "Enhancing the Disciplinary and Reward Procedures for Prisoners in Türkiye” co-funded by Norway, the Human Rights Trust Fund of the Council of Europe, Belgium, Türkiye, and the Netherlands.

Ankara, Türkiye 13 June 2024