On 29 April – 1 May 2024, a 3-day training for psychologists from the State Department for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions of Ukraine took place in Truskavets, Ukraine. The objective of the training was to equip participants with the necessary skills to pilot a newly developed rehabilitation program for prisoners who use psychoactive substances and to implement the program within correctional institutions and remand centres.

The training marked the first event of the Council of Europe Project "Towards more humane detention conditions and reduced reoffending in Ukraine (DECOPRIS)" after its official opening.

The event was opened by Olena Vysotska, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, who expressed gratitude for the project's efforts towards rehabilitation of convicts.

Olga Derkach, Senior Project Officer at DECOPRIS, underscored the significance of the training participants as the "heroes of modern history", who will contribute to the advancement of modern rehabilitation practices within the penitentiary system of Ukraine.

Over the course of three days, future trainers guided by the national experts Yulia Paskevska and Evgenii Ivashev examined in detail 14 sessions of the rehabilitation program. They improved their skills in applying modern approaches to correctional work with individuals who use psychoactive substances, focusing on areas such as motivational counseling and emotional regulation.

The participants emphasized the importance of the practical component of the training to effectively build interaction with inmates and successfully implement a correctional and rehabilitation programme.