HF II Albania - Enhancing the protection of Human Rights for prisoners

Building upon the results achieved from the implementation of the first phase of European Union and Council of Europe programmatic framework “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” (Horizontal Facility), the new Action “Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania” assisted the Albanian authorities to further enhance prison reform and the protection of the human rights of prisoners. It was implemented in close partnership with the Ministry of Justice, the Directorate General of the Prison Administration and with other relevant institutions and stakeholders, including civil society organisations active in the penitentiary field.

The Action covered four main areas:

Introduction of the effective human resources and sustainable training programme for prison management;
Strengthening the provision of health care to prisoners with a particular focus on detainees with mental disorders and the implementation of suicide prevention strategy;
Strengthening the process of rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners with a particular focus on the implementation of a standard system of risk management;
Improvements in the treatment of vulnerable groups of prisoners, in particular high risk /violent prisoners, sex offenders and female prisoners.

The Action was completed on 31 December 2022, with an overall budget of 640,000 EUR.

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Back Albanian Training Center for Prison staff receives technical equipment to deliver online trainings

@ Council of Europe

Some 4500 prison staff are anticipated to benefit from the delivery of online initial and continuous trainings, following the donation of the technical equipment to the Training Center for Prison staff located at the Directorate General of Prison Administration of Albania.

At the launching event held on 18 November 2022, the Director General of the Prison Administration, Mr Admir Abrija welcomed the support provided to the Training Center as a sustainable resource which improves the swiftness/efficiency in delivering trainings and raises overall coordination and capacities of the prison staff in all 24 prison facilities in the country.

So far, the Council of Europe has provided continuous support to the Training Center investing both in its academic and material infrastructure by introducing a sustainable in-house training programme, improving its teaching methodology in line with the European Prison Rules and training more than 150 prison professionals.

The equipment, which consists of an Interactive smartboard and PC, online communication platform, and nine professional cameras and working stations, in value of 22,000 euro was provided through the Action “Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania”, as a part of joint initiative of the European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”, aiming to enhance the ability and independence of the Training Center in raising the capacities of prison staff all over Albania.

Albania 23 November 2022