A Regional Conference “Criminal Justice Responses to Prison Overcrowding in Eastern Partnership Countries” took place on 18 February 2016, in Tbilisi (Georgia).

The conference brought together representatives of the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia and Ministries of Justice of Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine and their respective penitentiary and probation services, consultants and representatives of the Council of Europe, as well as civil society and internationals organizations with an aim of presenting and discussing results of the study on preventing / combating prison overcrowding in the four countries of Eastern Partnership. Each country made a presentation on activities carried and achievement in preventing and combating prison overcrowding. The Council of Europe international experts highlighted country-specific problems defined by the study, which was followed by very topical and open discussions. The participants highlighted benefit from to the enhanced regional cooperation in solving problems highlighted by the study.

This Regional Conference is part of larger programme on “Promoting penitentiary reforms (from a punitive to a rehabilitative approach)” which is implemented within the framework of the European Commission and Council of Europe Programmatic Cooperation Framework for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus.