Improving the juvenile justice system and strengthening the education and training of penitentiary staff in Slovenia

The Council of Europe implemented a 24-month joint project to support Slovenia in its efforts to improve the justice system by pursuing two directions, i.e. two components of the project: Component I: introducing new legislation and policies that are in line with European standards and good practices in the juvenile criminal justice system, and Component II: improving the penitentiary system through enhanced training capacities of the prison administration and better human resources policy applied to the prison staff by the Slovenian Prison Administration.

The project was implemented transversally and jointly within two Council of Europe Directorates General: Component I – Directorate General of Democracy, Department of Children’s Rights Polices and Cooperation, Children’s Rights Division (to insert the link to the other component), and Component II – Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Police, Detention, Drugs and Addictions Department, Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division.

The Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division addressed through implementation of the Component II issues concerning the lack of organized education and training of prison staff, with the aim of improving the prisoners’ treatment. Slovenian penal practice remains orientated towards a humane treatment of prisoners with emphasis placed on an individual approach. Nevertheless, due to limited training capacities, the treatment of prisoners in practice faces several challenges. To this end, the project focused on the following three areas:

support to the introduction of a modern risk and needs assessment tool for the penitentiary,
development of key training and research entities and capacity building for Prison Administration,
increase of the professionalism of prison staff.

The project started on 1 September 2021 and was completed on 31 December 2023 with an overall budget of 700.000€ for Component II, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.

"This project was co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the European Commission"

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Back Successful cooperation with Slovenian Prison Administration to conclude in December 2023

On 17 October a final major conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia, anticipated the completion of the joint Council of Europe/European Union project which supports the Slovenian Prison Administration in improving the juvenile justice system and strengthening the education and training of penitentiary staff.

Speaking at the event, Slovenian Minister of Justice Dr Dominika Švarc Pipan, confirmed the commitment to improving the penitentiary and juvenile justice system through an ambitious reform process. The Minister thanked the Council of Europe and the European Union for their support and longstanding trust relationship in the implementation of projects aimed at advancing the rights of imprisoned persons and children.

The Council of Europe, the European Union and the Ministry of Justice acknowledged that the project contributed to a better treatment of prisoners through improved assessment of the risk and needs of imprisoned persons with emphasis placed on individual approach. The Council of Europe and the Slovenian Prison Administration worked together for a better human resources policy applied to the prison staff and for the increase of their professionalism.

A part of the Project was implemented by the Council of Europe’s Children’s Rights Division that worked with the Ministry of Justice to promote a better institutional organisation and a holistic system prepared to attend to the different needs of children in prison while focusing on their rehabilitation and individualised support.

The activities remaining to implement until the end of the Project include a study visit and a training for new prison staff.

The Council of Europe helps to enhance Slovenian Prison Administration within the framework of the Project “Improving the juvenile justice system and strengthening the education and training of penitentiary staff” funded by the European Union via the Technical support instrument and implemented by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the European Commission.

Slovenia 24 October 2023