A group of local prison staff trainers experienced in applying international human rights standards to the training framework of the custodial environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently developing a handbook on managing persons deprived of liberty in the law enforcement agencies.

The handbook builds on the previously developed and more comprehensive training manuals on core and advanced competencies but will benefit from the expertise of local police professionals who are providing substantial input from their practical experience.

The drafting session held on 20-22 February in Teslić focused on “soft” aspects, such as the codes of ethics for police and prison officers, international standards and norms for daily dealings with persons deprived of liberty in the law enforcement agencies, as well as efficient communication between the law enforcement officers and persons deprived of liberty, amongst other topics.

It is expected that, when completed over a series of drafting sessions, these guidelines will lead to the drafting of detailed operational procedures by the law enforcement officers themselves. 

The activity is organised under the auspices of the EU/CoE Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey project "Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina".