Enhancing the effectiveness of Civil Monitoring Boards in Türkiye in line with European Standards

The Civil Monitoring Boards (CMBs) have been actively involved in the external monitoring of the penitentiary system in the Republic of Türkiye through conducting on-site visits since 2001. The main task of CMBs is to conduct civil monitoring visits to the prisons and produce reports with binding recommendations for the Ministry of Justice. The deficiency of standards within the monitoring process, as well as the inadequate capacities and lack of training opportunities for the members, remained at unsatisfactory level for a long period of time.

The current “learning by doing” system should be replaced by an institutionalized training system. Therefore, there is an urgent need to work on the capacity building of the CMBs, as well as on increasing the quality of the whole process of the selection and training of its members in order to reach the European standards. Only a well-functioning external monitoring mechanism will contribute to a better penal system by decreasing the human rights breaches.

The Project was divided in 4 components:

Strengthening CMBs independence through revision of the applicable legal and regulatory framework in line with the international standards;
Enhancing CMBs efficiency by further developing their monitoring standards and working methodology and tools;
Ensuring sustainable training provision for the CMB members; and
Improving CMBs internal coordination and communication with other external monitoring mechanisms.

This Project was estimated to cover approximately 100 activities to be implemented by 31 May 2022, with an overall budget of 1,600,000 Euros.

Project documentation

Useful information

PROJECT NEWS

Back Second Annual Coordination Meeting of the Civil Monitoring Boards in Turkey

The Civil Monitoring Boards’ (CMBs) internal co-ordination and communication with external control mechanisms further improved following the second annual CMBs meeting, held on 21 and 22 October 2021 in Antalya. A total of 105 participants actively engaged in the discussion and benefited from the presentations on the novelties in international standards and best practices in prison monitoring and on building synergies between national and international monitoring bodies, aiming to improve the quality of the civic monitoring system.

Four consultants, out of which three former CPT members, facilitated the group works on topics relevant to the CMB members, such as interview techniques with inmates, writing effective reports, communication and cooperation with other monitoring mechanisms, as well as individual complaints and referral mechanisms.

“The presentation of DOs & DON’Ts in interview techniques will improve the quality and efficiency of interviews between us and inmates” and “Discussions and exchange of experience between the CMBs and other external monitors will ensure synergies among all the prison monitors in Turkey”, were some of the impressions shared during the event. As a conclusion, such coordination meetings significantly contribute towards better understanding of CMBs work and facilitate exchanges of experiences between different CMBs and other external monitors.

This was the second annual meeting organised within the scope of the Project entitled “Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Civil Monitoring Boards in Turkey in line with the European Standards”, funded by Sweden, Switzerland, the Republic of Turkey, the Human Rights Trust Fund of the Council of Europe and Canada.

Republic of Turkey 27 October 2021