In December, the Council of Europe took another step to support prison staff in Bosnia and Herzegovina, delivering new equipment to the Centre for Excellence at the Institute for Execution of Criminal Sanctions, Detention and other Measures (BiH State Prison). The equipment responds to needs identified by the prison and strengthens both training and everyday working conditions.

A prison representative and trainer involved in Council of Europe programmes, Nebojša Popović, highlighted the importance of the initiative. He noted that trainers and participants had flagged gaps in equipment and working conditions during earlier sessions, but that the prison lacked the resources to address them independently.

The Centre for Excellence, designed to support all 14 prison facilities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, received computers and presentation equipment, along with air conditioning units, new office furniture, and other essential upgrades. These improvements will make it easier to deliver practical, high-quality training for local and regional professionals.

Preventing violent extremism is a core part of the Centre’s work, including addressing radicalisation in prisons and managing violent extremist offenders. Well-equipped training spaces are key to running hands-on programmes that reflect both the complexity of these challenges and the realities of prison work.

The delivery also prioritised staff wellbeing, with furniture and appliances provided for the Centre’s rest area. This area is intended for use during training sessions but is also available to staff during their daily breaks. This essential space, the only one of its kind in the complex, offers employees an opportunity to step away, talk, and recharge in an otherwise demanding working environment.

This delivery builds on years of close co-operation between the Council of Europe and the prison system. Better tools, better spaces, and better conditions all contribute to safer daily work and a stronger, more resilient prison system.

The equipment was purchased as part of the Council of Europe Project “Providing for effective reintegration of violent extremist offenders in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PER-VEO) - Phase I”, which is funded under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.