OSCE co-organizes forum on re-socialization of convicted persons in Kazakhstan
ASTANA, 11 December 2015 – An OSCE-supported Third Penitentiary Forum dedicated to the strengthening of re-socialization for convicted persons took place today in Astana, bringing together more than 200 high-level government officials, parliamentarians, representatives of the judiciary, international organizations, civil society and academia.
The event, where participants analyzed the development of a comprehensive strategy for social rehabilitation and standards of social services for former prison inmates, was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Interior Ministry, the Supreme Court and the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Parliament.
Current trends and challenges in the re-socialization of convicts were discussed along with amendments to the legislation and the empowerment of institutions tasked with providing social services. National and international legal experts briefed the audience on respective re-socialization experiences from Kazakhstan and other countries.
“I am pleased to note Kazakhstan’s progress in the area of criminal justice and prison reform. The Legal Policy Concept, the programme development of the penitentiary system and the "100 Concrete Steps" Plan of the Nation identified priorities for development in this area,” said Natalia Zarudna, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “The fact that the courts now more frequently choose alternative punishments over incarceration is a positive development which meets international standards.”
“The annual penitentiary forum is an effective dialogue platform, where the topical issues of the criminal executive system are not only discussed, but resolved,” said Prosecutor General Askhat Daulbayev. “For the last three years, through the co-ordinated work done with the Interior Ministry and the Supreme Court with support from the Parliament, the prison population in our country has decreased by 25%. These results were achieved without amnesty, but through a systemic and deliberate transformation.”
The Forum was followed by a training seminar for officers from the Probation Service Territorial Departments of the Interior Ministry with the participation of experts from Estonia and Georgia.
The Forum is part of the Office’s continuous engagement in legislative and policy development processes to promote the fair treatment of convicts and former offenders, an effective system of social rehabilitation and the enhancement of probation mechanisms.
This is the third consecutive year the Office has supported the Forum. Previous events focused on the development of the probation system, surveillance through electronic bracelets and employment in prison.