Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention in Armenia

Building upon the results achieved from the implementation of the Project “Enhancing healthcare and human rights protection in prisons in Armenia”, the Project “Strengthening the Protection of the Rights of Persons in Detention” financed by Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023 – 2026 assists the Armenian authorities to further enhance penitentiary reform and prison health care, and the protection of the human rights of persons deprived of liberty. The Council of Europe is providing support at policy and operational levels assisting authorities to accomplish penitentiary reform goals and trigger changes in practices throughout the prison system especially after the adoption of the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedural Code as well as Penitentiary Code in June 2022.
The Project is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Prison Medicine Centre, as well as other stakeholders including the civil society organisations.
The Project focuses on following priority areas:

Further enhancing the institutional capacity of the Prison Medicine Centre in order to provide quality health care in the penitentiary system;
Further consolidating the knowledge and skills of medical and non-medical staff on different topics on provision of health care;
Strengthening the capacities of prison staff to apply tools and rehabilitation programmes for persons deprived of liberty;
Harmonizing the regulatory framework on human rights with the new Penitentiary Code.

The key Conventions for this Project are the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), as well as the findings and the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
The duration of the Project was set at 24 months, and it was completed on 31 December 2024, with an overall budget of 550 000 Euros.

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Back Penitentiary institutions of Armenia prepared for piloting resocialisation risk and needs assessment tool: training sessions for staff

Penitentiary institutions of Armenia prepared for piloting resocialisation risk and needs assessment tool: training sessions for staff

From 22 to 25 November 2023, 36 prison personnel of Armenian Penitentiary institutions gathered in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia for intensive training sessions on the new resocialisation Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) tool for convicts that they will later pilot. The training aimed to equip the staff with the skills necessary to apply the RNA tool to assess resocialisation needs of the convicts.

The RNA tool was developed with the support of Council of Europe consultants in close coordination with the Penitentiary Service and aims to improve the accuracy of risk assessment, understanding of the individual needs of prisoners and contribute to the development of effective resocialisation programmes. During the training, resocialisation committee members, social workers and psychologists from the piloting penitentiary institutions learned more about the relevant international standards, enhanced their interviewing techniques as well as practical skills required to assess the dynamic and static factors in the RNA and more.

Now that the participants are equipped with the necessary skills, they are expected to ensure smooth implementation of the RNA tool during the piloting stage in their respective institutions.

This event is part of the Council of Europe’s support within the framework of the Project “Strengthening the protection of the rights of persons in detention” that assists the national authorities to further enhance penitentiary reform, prison health care and the protection of human rights of persons deprived of liberty. The Project is financed within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026 and implemented by the Council of Europe.

Armenia 27.11.2023