Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova

The Programme ”Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova” is in line with the strategic priorities for cooperation as formulated in the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2017-2020, and is funded by the Norwegian government.

It is aimed to ensure a higher respect for human rights and the rule of law by assisting the national authorities in building up an efficiently functioning criminal justice system, in line with European human rights standards, and based on the principles of humanisation, resocialisation and restorative justice.

Main intervention areas will cover policy/legal framework, institutional and practical implementation levels, with the focus on:

Consolidation of criminal justice policy, legislation and judiciary practice in line with international standards with respect to the liberalization of criminal proceedings, including strengthening the application of non-custodial pre-trial preventive measures and sanctions, alternative sanctions in criminal cases, improvement of probation services and release on parole mechanisms
Better treatment and resocialisation of inmates by improving the regulatory and policy framework as well as prison staff capacities relevant to regime arrangements and management of prisons, implementation of treatment programmes and provision of health care services for inmates;
Support towards the development of the capacities of criminal justice stakeholders in the light of the implementation of the on-going reforms, including judiciary, prosecution service, as well as Ombudsperson’s institution and National Prevention Mechanism (NPM).

The Programme is expected to be implemented in 36 months (as of 1 March 2018).

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PROJECT NEWS

Back Professional development course for doctors and nurses of the prison system

@ Council of Europe

A nine-week professional development course for the doctors and nurses of the prison system of the Republic of Moldova has started online on 19 October and will finish on 23 December 2020.

As a result of the course, an overall number of 80 medical doctors and nurses of the prison system will receive certified training credits in three areas, identified by the National Administration of Penitentiaries as being of priority importance for the staff involved in the organisation and provision of healthcare services in prison: a) diseases control policies, b) quality management in medical institutions and c) human rights, communication and counselling in healthcare.

The added value of the course is that it has been delivered by an educational institution accredited to provide continuing education based on a curriculum agreed with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Spots as well as with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and therefore the healthcare professionals of the prison system receive academic credits in line with the national regulations. This factor constitutes a step forward towards aligning the healthcare services provision in prisons to the requirements of the public healthcare services as well as to CoE recommendations in the field.

The training sessions are attended by medical doctors and nurses from all 16 penitentiary institutions of the country as well as from the Prison Hospital, and is delivered by the academia of the School of Management in Public Health under “N. Testemițanu” Moldova State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

The activity is organised under the auspices of the Programme “Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova”, funded by the Government of Norway and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Republic of Moldova 18 December 2020