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 North Macedonia’s penitentiary staff drafted a Training Strategy and Programme, group of domestic trainers trained on presentation skills

Marina ACHA

Modified 2 Years ago.

@ Council of Europe

The final draft of Prison Staff Training Strategy and a relevant Programme were designed by a group of experienced staff from the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES), probation offices, and various prisons of North Macedonia. Meeting on 27 September 2023, they focused on reviewing the comments provided by the international consultant, which were integrated in the version developed by a team of domestic staffers. These documents set the basis for a regular induction and continuous training aimed at ensuring structured training for the penitentiary system and increasing the overall quality of work of the prison staff.

In addition, 15 prison and probation professionals were trained on presenting skills. Working on 28-29 September in Skopje, the group learned about the phases of a training plan, various approaches to adult learning, writing plans and structuring presentations, evaluating results; they also received practical advice on dos and don’ts. This group of trainers forms the core team of the Prison Training Centre, which has been supported through the Horizontal Facility in the past two years.

These sessions were conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme ”Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, and its action on “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.

Skopje, North Macedonia 28-29 September 2023