A total of 95 representatives from the National Preventive Mechanism, the Ombudsman Institution, civil society organisations, enforcement judges, public prosecutors, prison inspectors and controllers have been familiarised with tailor-made prison monitoring handbooks during the online informative sessions organized on 15, 16 and 17 November 2021. The three handbooks, aiming to establish a uniformed methodology and set minimum standards encompassing all prison inspection and monitoring stages, and actors were presented to the three targeted groups:
- Prison Monitoring Handbook for enforcement judges and prosecutors;
- Prison Monitoring Handbook for Prison Controllers and Justice Inspectors;
- Prison Monitoring Handbook for Ombudsman/National Preventive Mechanism.
The meetings resulted in a common agreement that the handbooks will bring added value to the prison monitoring and inspection processes, and will strengthen the co-operation and coordination between actors directly and/or indirectly involved in prison monitoring activities in Turkey, aiming to better protect the rights of prisoners. The participants to all three meetings raised questions pertinent to their specific tasks and discussed it with Council of Europe consultants. They have also discussed good prison monitoring and inspection practices and examples from different countries in Europe and highlighted the importance of a holistic approach and cooperation with other relevant prison inspection and oversight bodies.
The meetings were held within 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.
