Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for prison system developed in Montenegro cover twenty-nine different well-defined procedures including priority areas such as the use of force, inter-prisoner violence, report writing, mental health, and prevention of suicide and self-harm. The SOPs outline the conduct of prison staff when dealing with imprisoned persons including step-by-step instructions that ensure prevention of ill-treatment and human rights protection with emphasis on combatting impunity.

The new SOPs are complemented with a newly adopted Methodology that will be used for the development of any type of future SOPs. The Methodology will ensure harmonisation of procedures and a uniform approach. It will also facilitate the incorporation of Council of Europe human rights standards in future documents.

The SOPs will help Montenegrin prison authorities enhance the professionalism of prison staff and align the practices of prison administration with European standards. They will also assist Montenegrin prison system in getting closer to the European standards and to the recommendations of European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).

The SOPs were finalized on 2-3 December 2021. They were designed by the Administration for Execution of Criminal Sanctions with a support provided by a team of Council of Europe consultants under the Action “Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro”, as a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”, implemented by the Council of Europe.