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 Initial Screening for prisoners with mental health disorders successfully piloted in Albanian prisons and remand facilities

Albania 20 July 2026
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Initial Screening for prisoners with mental health disorders successfully piloted in Albanian prisons and remand facilities

With support from the European Union and the Council of Europe, the Albanian Prison Service has rolled out an Initial Screening for prisoners with mental health disorders as a health care priority from day one of their admission.

The new approach, launched in March 2026, with a capacity-building activity held in Tirana for general prison’s doctors and psychologists from four prisons and two remand facilities, uses eight simple questions, to flag potential mental health concerns as soon as inmates arrive.

On 13 June 2026, a Council of Europe expert and representatives of the Directorate General of Prisons conducted an evaluation, which was focused on two dimensions: capturing the experience of the general practitioner in conducting the screening for all new commers and the feedback provided by the prisoners on this new practice. The results of the evaluation confirmed that a developed methodology helps with early identification and a more systematic referral. Since in both remand facilities there is no resident psychiatrist, while a meaningful number of prisoners screened positive, the visit of the psychiatrist from the prison was requested to follow up with a more in-depth assessment.  

The evaluation results confirmed that the methodology was easily applicable and could be rolled out by the Albanian prison service. Based on the feedback from inmates who had undergone the screening, an amendment to the questionnaire was proposed. While the targeted aim was to screen at least 15 new arrivals monthly, doctors managed between 55 and 67 screenings per month. This result shows the commitment of several prison facilities, the feasibility of the methodology and confirms that early detection translates into better referrals and treatment service for prisoners with mental health disorders.

The activity 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.