The project aims to enhance the mental health and protect the human rights of offenders by improving the access, quality of provision and organisation of mental healthcare services (i.e. psychiatric care and psychological assistance), substance-use related services and other relevant therapeutic and rehabilitation activities.

The project will assist national authorities in further developing appropriate policies and strengthening capacities to ensure equivalence and continuity of healthcare for prisoners and probationers, in line with Council of Europe standards and best practices.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT TO ACHIEVE?
  • Strengthened policy, regulatory and strategic frameworks for the provision and organisation of mental health care services;
  • Improved tools and methodologies for national human rights bodies for the effective monitoring of the quality of mental healthcare provision in penitentiary and probation systems;
  • Increased capacity and skills of the management, operational and medical staff of penitentiary and probation systems, as well as the independent monitoring staff, to effectively secure the quality of mental healthcare services, substanceuse related services and other relevant therapeutic and rehabilitation activities.
PROJECT PARTNERS AND BENEFICIARIES:

Partners: Ministry of Justice of Georgia; Public Defender's Office/National Preventive Mechanism; relevant civil society organisations.

End Beneficiaries: Prisoners and Probationers; Prisoners with mental health problems, prisoners in need of special treatment, prisoners with addictions (substance-use disorders), prisoners with disabilities and other vulnerabilities, female prisoners, juvenile prisoners, close relatives of prisoners and probationers; etc.

HOW WILL THE PROJECT WORK?

The project builds on the achievements of the European Union - Council of Europe (CoE) joint project “Human Rights and Healthcare in Prisons and Other Closed Institutions in Georgia” (2010-2017), and the VC projects on “Improving Mental Health Care of Persons Detained in Georgia” (2018-2019) and “Enhancement of Human Rights and Health-Care Support to Penitentiary System” (2019-2022).

A combination of needs assessments, expert advice, round tables, working groups and experts’ meetings, and tailor-made training and treatment programmes will serve to achieve the goal of the project.

BUDGET:

The total budget of the Project is 600 000 Euros.

The Project is part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia (2020-2023).

PROJECT DURATION:

The project runs until the end of December 2023.