Strenghtening prison health care in Greece

The project supports the Greek authorities’ efforts to develop policies and adopt measures in the area of provision of health care and overcrowding in prisons. Council of Europe expertise will address the shortcomings identified by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) and will enhance the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments.

Prison healthcare system in Greece is currently in transition. Ministry of Citizens Protection remains in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the competent authorities of Primary Health Care following the strategic decision to gradually incorporate prison health care in the public health care.

The project is in line with the Strategic Plan for Crime Prevention Policy 2018-2020, Strategic Objective 6: Health services in prisons and Strategic objective 3: Reducing overcrowding in collaboration with the MoH. CoE has provided expertise for the development of the Strategic Plan and is following its implementation. The project will directly support the implementation of the Strategic Plan, being the first consistent and coherent effort to set the goals and define the strategy and basic principles of the penitentiary policy in Greece.

The Action started on 1 June 2019 and will be completed on 31 May 2021 with an overall budget of 600.000 Euros financed by the Council of Europe Human Rights Trust Fund.

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PROJECT NEWS

Back Training of Trainers on mental health care – Greece

To ensure the application of the “Guide on Self-harm in prisons” and the “Training curricula on mental health care” prepared within the project “Strengthening prison health care in Greece”, a 3-day training of trainers was organized in Athens, Greece on 11-13 October.

The training was held in person and represents a continuation of a 3-day on-line training held in March this year. A core team of eight prison psychologists selected from prisons throughout Greece enhanced their knowledge on screening for mental health care, self-harm and suicide prevention, as well as their presentation skills and adult training methodology..

The eight psychologists will undertake further trainings to their peers and will be supported by the project by the end of 2021, with the overall aim to ensure the project sustainability and to increase awareness on mental health in Greek prisons and secure the professional development of prison staff.

The Training was organized within the project “Strengthening prison health care in Greece“, funded by the Council of Europe Human Rights Trust Fund and implemented by the Criminal Law Cooperation Unit, Council of Europe.

Greece 13 October 2021