HF III - Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia

Building upon the results achieved from the implementation of the first and the second phase of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, a joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the Action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia” assists the authorities in progressing further with the country’s prison reform agenda and enhancing the protection of the human rights of prisoners and detained persons. It is implemented in close cooperation and partnership with the Ministry of Justice (Directorate for Execution of Sanctions), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ombudsman’s Office, as well as other national stakeholders, including prominent civil society organisations active in the area of protection and promotion of human rights.
The Action will focus on accomplishing the following outcomes:

• The provision of healthcare to sentenced persons, including mental healthcare, is strengthened in line with Council of Europe standards and best practices;
• Prison managers and staff provide better support to inmates’ rehabilitation and reintegration, through systematic application in their daily work of the newly developed procedures and gained knowledge and skills;
• External oversight and internal monitoring over the police and the penitentiary system are further enhanced, by applying Council of Europe standards and best practices.

The key Conventions for this Action are the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), as well as the findings and the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
The duration of the project is set at 48 months, and it is expected to be completed by 31 December 2026, with an overall budget of 950,000 Euros.

Project documentation

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Authorities in North Macedonia engage to further enhance pre-release preparation and post-penal support

Nino LAPACHI

Modified 3 Years ago.

@ Council of Europe

North Macedonia’s stakeholders discussed the needs and specifics of developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on pre-release preparation and post-penal support, which should be designed in the upcoming period. Representatives of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, prison and probation officers, judges, as well as civil society organizations, participated at a workshop organized on 7 March 2023 in Skopje, which paved the road for the upcoming steps that would result in a functional SOP.

Multi-agency cooperation, exchanging information in real time and case management were in the focus of the discussion, all of which will be addressed and regulated by the SOP. The participants agreed on the principles of cross-section cooperation that will be based on a detailed document drafted by the inclusive working group.

In the past, under Horizontal Facility II, beneficiaries in North Macedonia were supported in devising and putting in place a similar SOP for violent extremist prisoners, which was piloted in the second half of 2022. This experience proved vital in the preparation of the current document, as well as exceling the encountered difficulties.

This discussion was conducted in the framework of the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye – Phase III, and its action on “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

North Macedonia 07 March 2023