Improving the prison oversight and reporting procedures put in place by the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions (DES) of North Macedonia was in the focus of the working group that met on 17-18 June 2024. Guided by a Council of Europe international consultant, the DES oversight team visited Stip Prison, following which the findings and potential improvements were discussed.

This activity follows an earlier assessment mission, as well as the meeting of the working group that had identified the necessary improvements to the methodology of and regulations on prison inspection, carried by the DES in all penitentiary and correctional facilities in the country. During the visit to Stip Prison the usefulness of these improvements was tested in practice. This activity is part of the National Strategy on the Development of the Penitentiary System in the Republic of North Macedonia (2021-2025), which was developed with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe.

This visit 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 “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.