Settlement colonies in Kyrgyzstan to open income-generation units with OSCE support

ANANYEVO, Kyrgyzstan, 14 June 2013 – A farm in a settlement colony in Kyrgyzstan was officially launched today in the Colony 44 in the village of Ananyevo in Issyk-Kul region of the country.

The farm has been in operation since spring 2013. It was created as a part of a joint project of Kyrgyzstan’s State Penitentiary Service (GSIN) and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek  aimed at developing income-generation and rehabilitation schemes for prisoners.

The ultimate goal of the project is to improve the quality of life of inmates and to provide them with skills and knowledge to help to better prepare them for reintegration into society after their release.

“Supporting Kyrgyzstan in the implementation of its National Strategy of the Penitentiary System Reform ‘Umut-2’ for 2012-2016 is the priority of the OSCE Centre’s activities in this sphere,” said Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “An important aspect of this work is the creation of the new criminal legislation, including the criminal code, the code of criminal procedure and the correctional code, which would be in line with international human rights standards on treatment of inmates. It is in this spirit that we support income-generation activities at Kyrgyzstan’s penitentiary institutions.”

Zarylbek Rysaliev, the Chairperson of the State Penitentiary Service, said: “In co-operation with the OSCE Centre we managed to do much, including the establishment of a training centre to strength potential of the penitentiary system officials, the creation of a database of prisoners, support to the Atlantis rehabilitation centres and many other achievements. We are fully committed to continue our constructive co-operation with the OSCE.”

As part of the project, representatives of all settlement colonies across Kyrgyzstan received training on managing income-generation units inside settlement colonies, with a special focus on crop growing and cattle raising. The OSCE Centre also donated construction materials to build a new living facility and utility rooms for the colony inmates, as well as a tractor and several units of agricultural equipment.