20 prison Directors representing all the Albanian penitentiary institutions, gathered in Tirana from 18-20 March 2024 to attend a leadership and prison management training, delivered by two Council of Europe international consultants and the Head of the Albanian Training Centre for prison staff.

The training combined methodological aspects with content knowledge, developing participants’ skills on topics such as positive prison management, leadership and decision making in the context of penitentiary institutions, effective communication, management of material and human resources, strategic thinking, organisation and planning etc. The third day of the training focused on the introduction of the concept of internal classification, and the necessary instruments and modalities which will help each prison facility to implement this new practice in Albania.    

The Albanian prison service has officially endorsed internal classification as a positive practice which increases the efficiency in the management of prisoners, providing for differentiated incentivised regimes, helping the inmates progress towards their rehabilitation and re-integration back into society. At the end of the training, this concept was translated into four practical steps that ease the way to a successful implementation. The Albanian prison service will begin by piloting internal classification in four high security prisons, starting from May 2024.

The training was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme ”Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye – Phase III”, and in particular Action on “Enhancing the protection of Human Rights of prisoners in Albania”.