A delegation comprising high-level managers of the Directorate General for Prison and Detention Houses (DGPDH), public prosecutor, a prison governor as well as prison staff from Türkiye visited Switzerland on 30 May and 1 June to share experience on rehabilitation of prisoners and learn about the legal and institutional framework related to the Swiss penitentiary system.

In the course of the visit the members of the delegation met the Head of the Execution of Sentences and Measures Unit at the Federal Office of Justice;  informed themselves about the monitoring visits carried out by the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture (NCPT), its cooperation with prison administration and collaboration with the civil society. They also visited La Brenaz prison near Geneva together with the NCPT representatives, met prison staff and prison directors, discussing the process of inmate rehabilitation, disciplinary procedures, as well as some good practices related to reward mechanism.

While meeting the management of the Association of Prevention of Torture (APT) – the world’s leading civil society organisation (CSO) dedicated to preventing torture, the delegation was informed about its mandate and role and good practices for cooperation with public authorities.

During the meeting with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) the focus was on conditions of detention, the process of securing humane treatment of inmates, their rehabilitation as well as cooperation between different stakeholders at national and international level.  The delegation also discussed international norms and standards of prison monitoring, as well as disciplinary sanctions and rewards mechanisms.

The activity was implemented in the scope of the Project entitled “Enhancing the Disciplinary and Reward Procedures for Prisoners in Türkiye” currently being funded by the Human Rights Trust Fund of the Council of Europe, Norway, Belgium, Türkiye and the Netherlands.