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 Psychologists and educators in Albanian prisons learn on Council of Europe standards on the management of common mental health disorders in prisons

@ Council of Europ

The Council of Europe is working together with the Directorate General of Prison Administration to raise awareness amongst professionals in the Albanian prison service on Council of Europe standards concerning mental health disorders in prisons.

To this end a 2-day training was held in Tirana on 8 and 9 November 2021, with the participation of 34 psychologist and educators coming from all over Albania.

The training was conceptualised to combine academic knowledge with practical exercises. The training also involved a strong component tailored to the Albanian context with real life scenarios borrowed by the Albanian prison hospital and the prison setting. The training was delivered by an international and a national consultant covering topics such as international standards on inmates with mental health disorders; mental health screening on admission to prison; anxiety and mood disorders presentation and discussion; psychotic disorders; women specific mental health needs; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); personality disorders (PD); substance use disorders; medical ethics; interventions at the transition from prison to community.

This activity was organised within the scope of 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”.

Tirana 16 November 2021