A group of six staff members of the Kosovo* Correctional Services (KCS) visited the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in the United Kingdom, where they observed prison staff training and were able to identify good practices that can be applied within the KCS. The delegation was composed of KCS management and staff, some of whom are members of the working group tasked with developing the KCS training strategy and training curricula for prison staff. The study visitors learned about the prison staff training opportunities, training needs identification, coordination, training delivery and evaluation within the SPS. They have also acquired a better understanding of the concept of dynamic security.  

The KCS delegation visited the SPS headquarters, three penitentiary institutions (HMP Edinburgh, HMP Shotts and a youth offenders institution), the SPS operational training centre and the SPS college, where they met with SPS HQ staff, penitentiaries governors, training managers, as well as  other prison staff and prisoners.

The 3-day study visit took place from 9 to 11 May 2017 and was organised within the scope of the Action ‘Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Kosovo’’, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe within the “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey”.

* 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.