SPPRH - Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova

The Project “Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova” (“SPPRH Project”) with the duration of 36 months (March 2021 – February 2024) is funded through and is in line with the strategic priorities for co-operation as formulated in the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2021-2024.

The Project builds on the achievements of the previous Council of Europe Action Plans for the Republic of Moldova, notably, results of the projects implemented between 2015 and 2020, namely, the Programme “Promoting a human rights compliant criminal justice system in the Republic of Moldova” (01 March 2018 – 28 February 2021) and the Project “Support of the Criminal Justice Reforms in the Republic of Moldova” (2015 – 2018). The Project is also focused on further consolidating the achievements of the Norwegian Mission of Rule of Law Advisers to Moldova (NORLAM) activities in country completed in June 2017.

The Project is aimed at supporting the enhancement of the prison management practices, the improvement of the quality of the provision of health care to inmates (including mental health care), supporting the probation in raising its profile, promoting the value of community sanctions and measures among all actors of the criminal justice system and strengthening of treatment programmes and protocols for patients in psychiatric establishments (including forensic patients).

Main intervention areas will cover policy/legal framework, institutional and practical implementation levels, and the expected results of this Project are the following:

Management of prisons is further improved to better support the prisoners’ rehabilitation: integrating modern prison management methodologies and tools, and further increasing the prison staff skills and knowledge on human rights of persons deprived of liberty;
Quality of the provision and organisation of health care services (including mental health care) for inmates are further enhanced in line with European standards: developing specialized tools, policies and improving the material medical conditions in prisons;
Strengthened institutional capacity of Probation Service and multidisciplinary co-operation with other actors through more effective implementation of community sanctions and measures in support of offenders’ social reintegration: strengthening the capacities of Probation to treat medium and high-risk offenders and fine-tuning the inter-institutional cooperation;
Strengthened treatment of patients in psychiatric establishments (including forensic patients) in line with European standards: enhancing the treatment programmes and protocols and improving the knowledge and skills of staff in applying them within multidisciplinary teams.

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Back Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe expresses support to Moldovan authorities in strengthening healthcare in prisons

Vladislav SPIRLICENCO

Modified 2 Years ago.

Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe expresses support to Moldovan authorities in strengthening healthcare in prisons

The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Bjørn Berge visited the Republic of Moldova. During the two-day visit, he and the Minister of Justice, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru hosted a handover ceremony of important medical equipment to cover the outstanding prison healthcare needs and thus meet the standards established by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). This is the second donation of medical equipment by the Council of Europe to Moldovan prisons.

The donation made within the framework of the Project “Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova” contains among other patient monitors, surgical tables, an electroencephalograph, lamps for examination, a laptop portable ultrasound scanner, medical furniture and other essentials for the delivery of medical services. This donation continues the support the Council of Europe provides to the Moldovan prison system since 2018 when a comprehensive assessment of healthcare needs within prisons was made within the framework of a previous Council of Europe project, followed by a first donation of medical equipment in 2020.

In his opening remarks of the handover ceremony, the Deputy Secretary General emphasised: “The excellent co-operation and partnership between the Council of Europe and the Moldovan authorities is no doubt delivering and helps us raise together the standard of healthcare in prisons and thereby also health and long-term well-being of prisoners”.

The Minister of Justice praised the Council's ongoing support through the ongoing project "Strengthening the prison and probation reforms, provision of health care and treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova". "Improving conditions in prisons, including ensuring quality health care for all detained individuals, is a priority for the Ministry of Justice. Equipping prison medical facilities with modern equipment will significantly contribute to the enhancement of the quality of medical services provided to prisoners and to ensure the respect of their right to health. We express our gratitude towards the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau for its valuable contribution and unwavering support of our efforts to create decent conditions of detention, in compliance with international standards", the Minister stressed.

Addressing systemic issues identified by the European Court of Human Rights and the CPT, the Project reflects the priorities established in the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova and the EU accession agenda, including working on further enhancing the management, improving the quality of health care as well as material conditions in prison medical units. This, in turn, should lead to creating a more positive climate for the rehabilitation of prisoners, facilitating their reintegration into society.

Republic of Moldova 9 April 2024