Back Authorities in North Macedonia engage to further enhance pre-release preparation and post-penal support

Skopje 7 March 2023
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Authorities in North Macedonia engage to further enhance pre-release preparation and post-penal support

North Macedonia’s stakeholders discussed the needs and specifics of developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on pre-release preparation and post-penal support, which should be designed in the upcoming period. Representatives of the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, prison and probation officers, judges, as well as civil society organisations, participated at a workshop organised by the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Enhancing the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia” on 7 March 2023 in Skopje. This discussion paved the road for the upcoming steps that would result in a functional SOP.

Multi-agency cooperation, exchanging information in real time and case management were in the focus of the discussion, all of which will be addressed and regulated by the SOP. The participants agreed on the principles of cross-section co-operation that will be based on a detailed document drafted by the inclusive working group.

In the past, under Horizontal Facility II, beneficiaries in North Macedonia were supported in devising and putting in place a similar SOP for violent extremist prisoners, which was piloted in the second half of 2022. This experience proved vital in the preparation of the current document, as well as exceling the encountered difficulties.

This discussion 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 capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia”.