The Council of Europe continues to support Georgian authorities in strengthening the role of psychologists and social workers and improving inter-agency communication and co-ordination between all relevant stakeholders involved in rehabilitation and resocialisation in Georgia.

On the initiative of the Ministry of Justice, the Council of Europe supported a high-level inter-agency conference, which took place in Tbilisi on 20-21 December 2022. The conference was attended by Deputy Ministers and other representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure. This was the first ever event fully devoted to the rehabilitation and resocialisation work in Georgia with participation of all relevant national authorities.

Natalia Voutova, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, addressed the conference participants with opening remarks. “The work of social workers and psychologists is of outmost importance in order to make sure that the penitentiary system is more humane, so the offenders can reintegrate to the society and have a meaningful life” - said Ms. Voutova.

During the two-day event, psychologists and social workers from all over the country exchanged views on their practices, challenges and plans with regards to case management and discussed specific ways of intersectoral cooperation in order to increase the effectiveness of their work. The conference highlighted the importance of experience sharing as an excellent tool to create synergies between relevant institutions and to further enhance the quality of the rehabilitation services Georgia provides to its citizens, in accordance with best European and international standards.

This conference was organized under the auspices of the Council of Europe project “Enhancing Healthcare Provision in Georgia’s Penitentiary System”, which is a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023, with the initiative of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia and the National Agency for the Crime Prevention, Execution of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation.