Reforming Serbia's prisons
More transparency and accountability
With the gradual integration of Yugoslavia into the international community, Serbia's prison system will have to become more transparent and accountable. The OSCE's Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), together with the Organization's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and other international organizations, have initiated a programme to review Serbia's existing prison legislation and to train prison staff.
In January 2002, the OSCE Mission to the FRY launched a pilot project in Novi Sad, which consisted of a training course for 70 prison officers on modern concepts of professional performance in prisons. The success of this undertaking has allowed the Mission to produce two handbooks on the subject, which were distributed to prison officials throughout the country. In addition, the Mission also arranged for study visits to Germany and Spain for Serbian prison staff, and organized an educational support project for the Belgrade Prison Hospital and the Valjevo Juvenile Prison.
"Train the trainers"
Eleven months after the start of this first training scheme, the OSCE Mission took the prison reform programme a step further. In December 2002 began a general training course for prison staff throughout Serbia, which consists of two phases. In a first "train-the-trainers" phase, two international experts convey their knowledge to 12 future educators, whose task it is to deliver training courses to their Serbian colleagues.
"This is a very positive project for Serbia's prisons and prison officers", says Vince Streukens, an expert from the Canadian Correctional Service.
"As part of this three-week programme, we will show the prison officers -- our future educators -- modern pedagogical methods and alternative standards in communication and human rights. This will give them a better understanding of the methods used in prison systems in other parts of the world."
From January 2003, the programme will move into its second phase. For five days, a total of 300 prison staff will be trained on professional performance in prisons. "We want to find the bright side hidden in every inmate, to offer them the opportunity to correct what is wrong in their personality", explains Goran Tomic, educator in Serbia's Padinska Skela prison. "This will help us improve our standards".
Providing for sustainability
This already sounds like an ambitious programme, but there is more to come. Future projects include training sessions for prison directors on management skills. Another possible project is the establishment of a Prison Training Institute, directed and managed by the Serbian Ministry of Justice. This would be the best way of making the training programme self-sustaining.
The OSCE Mission will continue to assist the Serbian Government in adapting the existing prison structures in the country and to improve internal and external control mechanisms. In particular, the Mission will further encourage external mechanisms of control, such as human rights non-governmental organizations, and parliamentary commissions, to monitor the professional performance of the prison system in Serbia.
With the gradual integration of Yugoslavia into the international community, Serbia's prison system will have to become more transparent and accountable. The OSCE's Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), together with the Organization's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and other international organizations, have initiated a programme to review Serbia's existing prison legislation and to train prison staff.
In January 2002, the OSCE Mission to the FRY launched a pilot project in Novi Sad, which consisted of a training course for 70 prison officers on modern concepts of professional performance in prisons. The success of this undertaking has allowed the Mission to produce two handbooks on the subject, which were distributed to prison officials throughout the country. In addition, the Mission also arranged for study visits to Germany and Spain for Serbian prison staff, and organized an educational support project for the Belgrade Prison Hospital and the Valjevo Juvenile Prison.
"Train the trainers"
Eleven months after the start of this first training scheme, the OSCE Mission took the prison reform programme a step further. In December 2002 began a general training course for prison staff throughout Serbia, which consists of two phases. In a first "train-the-trainers" phase, two international experts convey their knowledge to 12 future educators, whose task it is to deliver training courses to their Serbian colleagues.
"This is a very positive project for Serbia's prisons and prison officers", says Vince Streukens, an expert from the Canadian Correctional Service.
"As part of this three-week programme, we will show the prison officers -- our future educators -- modern pedagogical methods and alternative standards in communication and human rights. This will give them a better understanding of the methods used in prison systems in other parts of the world."
From January 2003, the programme will move into its second phase. For five days, a total of 300 prison staff will be trained on professional performance in prisons. "We want to find the bright side hidden in every inmate, to offer them the opportunity to correct what is wrong in their personality", explains Goran Tomic, educator in Serbia's Padinska Skela prison. "This will help us improve our standards".
Providing for sustainability
This already sounds like an ambitious programme, but there is more to come. Future projects include training sessions for prison directors on management skills. Another possible project is the establishment of a Prison Training Institute, directed and managed by the Serbian Ministry of Justice. This would be the best way of making the training programme self-sustaining.
The OSCE Mission will continue to assist the Serbian Government in adapting the existing prison structures in the country and to improve internal and external control mechanisms. In particular, the Mission will further encourage external mechanisms of control, such as human rights non-governmental organizations, and parliamentary commissions, to monitor the professional performance of the prison system in Serbia.