OSCE supports Georgian Justice Ministry with prison security training

TBILISI/WARSAW, 13 September 2004 - The OSCE is assisting the Georgian Justice Ministry in strengthening prison security management with a week-long training programme for senior prison security personnel.

Eighteen high-ranking professionals will attend the course, led by international experts who will be focusing on security strategies and treatment of detainees in the context of international standards and recognized best practices.

"I welcome the Justice Ministry's willingness to work with us in this important aspect of prison reform," said the Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, Ambassador Roy Reeve.

"This course is tailor-made for senior personnel to tackle a range of security issues including individual and mass emergency situations, external security, risk assessment, as well as a Code of Conduct."

Organized by the Mission and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), this course is part of a wider rule of law programme in Georgia for capacity-building at the Ministry's recently re-activated Prison Training Centre.

The seminar starting today follows last week's course on developing an in-service training system for penitentiary staff, where 20 Georgian officials and civilian criminal law experts were trained in modern training methodologies. They will then train prison officials at the Centre.

"It's a two-pronged approach," said Cynthia Alkon, who heads the Rule of Law programme at the ODIHR. "Train the trainers, so the Ministry's Training Centre can effectively pass on expertise independently, and then, for direct results, train high-ranking staff in detainee management to international standards. It also offers the opportunity to benefit from the practical experience of counterparts in other states and share successful methodologies."