On 23 July 2021, medical and non-medical staff of pilot prisons Nos. 1, 4 and 16 (from Baku, Azerbaijan) improved their knowledge on mental health care for prisoners in the context of a one-day online workshop. Representatives of the main medical department of the Ministry of Justice and the Training Centre of the Penitentiary Services also participated in the event.

Participants were introduced to the new mental health risk assessment tool, developed by the Council of Europe, to be used upon the reception of new prisoners. The event also focused on the work of prison staff with vulnerable groups, including women offenders. The participants discussed the benefits of multidisciplinary teams working together to ensure the mental well-being of the patients in the prison environment.

This workshop is part of a series of workshops for medical and non-medical prison personnel aimed at continuing to support the Azerbaijani prison system by improving prison healthcare, including mental health.

This online workshop was organised within the EU/CoE Joint Project "Support to the Penitentiary Reform in Azerbaijan" (JP SPERA-2), which is designed to promote effective prison management, health care in prisons and assist the reintegration of ex-offenders.