With the support of the Health Centre of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine, the sixth hybrid training for prison staff took place on 24 - 25 April 2025.  The event brought together more than 17 medical and non-medical staff from penitentiary institutions in the Chernivtsi, Kyiv, and Odesa regions who participated in person, while more than 50 additional staff members from other regions of Ukraine joined the training online.

The training provided participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical tools to enhance the quality of OAT delivery in the penitentiary system. International experts from the Republic of Moldova, Israel, and Norway, together with national trainers, offered comparative insights into the implementation of OAT in their respective countries. While international experts highlighted global practices and lessons learned, national experts presented the current state, progress, and challenges of OAT implementation in Ukraine. This exchange enhanced participants’ capacity to contextualise international standards and practices within the Ukrainian penitentiary system, contributing to a more informed, evidence-based, and practical approach to the implementation of MAT in custodial settings.

As part of the training, participants had the opportunity to visit Stryzhivska correctional colony No. 81 in the Vinnytsia region, where they observed the administration of methadone firsthand.

By the end of the project, 26 OAT facilities are expected to be operational across 19 regions of Ukraine, providing treatment services to over 580 individuals in detention. This expansion is a significant step forward in providing better access to healthcare for people in detention, particularly those coping with substance use disorders, and reflects Ukraine's commitment to improving health conditions in its correctional facilities.

The initiative is part of the project the Council of Europe project “Towards More Humane Conditions of Detention and Reduced Reoffending in Ukraine” (DECOPRIS)” which is implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023–2026). DECOPRIS aims to enhance the protection of prisoners’ rights by improving prison management practices and advancing rehabilitation efforts.