OSCE Centre supports forum on penitentiary reform in Kazakhstan
ASTANA, 28 March 2013 – An OSCE-supported forum on current problems in implementing penal policies in Kazakhstan was held in Astana today.
The event was co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Interior Ministry , the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman Office), , the European Union Delegation in Kazakhstan, the Penal Reform International Office in Central Asia, the Dutch Embassy, and the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ).
The aim of the forum was to discuss the status and prospects of the probation service and the penitentiary system in light of the ongoing reform of the country’s penal legislation. The discussion focused on the advantages of probation, its effectiveness and influence on the penitentiary system and the post-penal rehabilitation of prisoners, as well as electronic surveillance of convicts and alternative sanctions to incarceration.
The event brought together some 150 participants from relevant state bodies, legal experts, practicing lawyers, and representatives of international organizations and civil society associations. Experts from France, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom shared the experience of their countries’ probation systems and provided recommendations.
“I highly value the efforts of Kazakhstan in advancing the reform of the penitentiary system and its close co-operation with all relevant stakeholders throughout the process,” said Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana. “The OSCE supports further development of the probation service and expansion of alternatives to imprisonment in Kazakhstan and, as an ultimate goal of the current reform, reduction of the prison population.”
Askhat Daulbayev, the Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan said: “Kazakhstan is gradually humanizing criminal justice and penal policy. The establishment of probation in 2012 and the possible expansion of this institution in the future will help reduce the prison population, improve the effectiveness of penal system and ensure the better fulfillment of citizens’ rights.”
As a result of the discussions, the participants developed a set of recommendations and expert views to be used by the working group that is drafting a new Criminal Executive Code. The event is a part of the Centre’s long-term activities to support Kazakhstan in reforming its criminal justice and penal systems.