The first working group (WG) meeting on revising the protocols and guidelines of the Prison Health Department (PHD) of the Ministry of Health, and the relevant Standard Operating Procedures  was conducted on 21-23 February 2023 in in Istog/Istok, Kosovo*. It followed   the assessment mission carried out by the Council of Europe consultants at the end of 2022 looking at the protocols and guidelines in question.

As a result of this meeting, the working group conceptualized specific amendments to the current mental healthcare protocols, guidelines, and the Standard Operating Procedures of the Prison Health Department, and these amendments will be further discussed and finalized during the next WG meeting, which will take place at the end of March 2023.

The WG was attended by approximately 40 members from the Prison Health Department, Kosovo Correctional Services (KCS), Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, Special Institute for Persons with Mental and Physical Disabilities, National Prevention Mechanism (NPM), Prison Inspectorate, as well as the civil society. The Deputy Minister of Health, the Head of the PHD, the Deputy Director General of the KCS, as well as the Head of the NPM and the Acting Chief Inspector of the Prison Inspectorate attended the first day of the meeting, thus showing the importance of this event for all project partners and beneficiaries.

The activity was organized under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Improvement of the treatment of persons deprived of liberty”.

* All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions, or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United National Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.