Work in this thematic area focuses on prisons and police (including human rights in policing, healthcare in prisons and safeguards against torture and ill-treatment), human rights standards in the judiciary (focusing on enhancing the application of case-law of the European Court of Human Rights), the efficiency of justice systems (with a focus on analysing judicial statistics to optimise court administrations) and/or legal co-operation (which concentrate on increasing the individual independence of judges and prosecutors and the accountability of the judicial system).

Back Cognitive Behavior Therapy successfully piloted in four Albanian prisons

Fier, Albania 23 June 2026
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
  • Imprimer en PDF
Cognitive Behavior Therapy successfully piloted in four Albanian prisons

The European Union and Council of Europe are assisting the Albanian Prison Service in delivering the Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), aimed at better preparing prisoners for release.

In this framework, on 23 June 2026, an evaluation visit was conducted in Fier Prison by a team composed of a psychologist, representatives of the Directorate General of Prisons and Council of Europe to evaluate the results of the implementation of the CBT pilot programme. The evaluation focused on two dimensions: the experience of the psycho-social staff in delivering the programme, including their perceived strengths and challenges in implementation, and the experiences of prisoners who participated in the therapy. To this end, a focus group discussion was held with four prisoners to gather first-hand feedback on the benefits and impact of the programme from the perspective of the rights holders. The visit also provided an opportunity to assess the overall effectiveness of the intervention and identify lessons learned for the future implementation of CBT in other prisons in Albania.

This meeting is a follow up of the capacity-building activity held in Tirana last January for professionals from several prisons, and the on-site coaching visits in May 2026.  Apart of Fier prison, the Directorate General of Prisons has decided to pilot, from February to July 2026, the CBT programme, also in  Fushë-Kruja, Burrel and Korça prisons.

During the conversation, prisoners confirmed how helpful the prison psychologist was in listening to them openly, without judgment and assisting them to spot negative thoughts as they happen, providing tools to reshape those thoughts in a more positive direction.

Upon the finalisation of the piloting, the Directorate General of Prisons intends to officially introduce CBT as regular rehabilitation programme, progressively to be expanded to all prison facilities in Albania.

The training was conducted in the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, and its action on Enhancing the protection of Human Rights of prisoners in Albania.

 

Actions under theme i: ensuring justice
  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Albania - Phase III  
  • Supporting enforcement of judicial decisions and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania           
  • Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania  
  • Strengthening human rights treatment of detained persons based on European standards and best practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina  
  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Kosovo* -  Phase II  
  • Accountability of the judicial system in Montenegro - Phase II  
  • Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro  
  • Further enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Montenegro  
  • Strengthening independence and accountability of the judiciary in Serbia  
  • Strengthening the effective legal remedies to human rights violations in Serbia  
  • Enhancing the human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Serbia  
  • Supporting enhanced access to higher quality Free Legal Aid services in North Macedonia  
  • Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system and the external oversight mechanism in North Macedonia                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  • Supporting the implementation and reporting on the Action Plan on Human Rights in Turkey  
  • Judicial training institutes for Quality and Sustainability in the Western Balkans 
  • Initiative for legal certainty in the Western Balkans  
  • Enhancing penitentiary capacities in addressing radicalisation in prisons in the Western Balkans  
  • Towards a better evaluation of the results of judicial reform efforts in the Western Balkans  
  • Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) in the Western Balkans 
  • PACE cooperation with the parliamentary assemblies with a view to achieving legislative improvements in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia 

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.