An important aspect of the Horizontal Facility II programme is to provide assistance for the public authorities and related actors in the field, to further enhance prison reforms and ensure a better protection of the human rights of prisoners in line with European standards. In this framework key capacity building activities have been organised in co-operation with local authorities in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries to ensure the prevention of ill-treatment and advance protection of human rights for the detained and sentenced persons.

In the efforts to support the Directorate General of Prison Administration in Albania to raise the capacities of the Training Center for Prison Staff as well as build in-house knowledge and ensure training provision sustainability, the first content-based training was held during 25-26 October 2021 in Shkodra. 22 prison police from Shkodra prison increased their knowledge and skills through three main modules: “conducting searches”, “escorting and transportation of prisoners and pre-trial detainees” and “means of restraint”, while also learning more on the European best practices and Council of Europe standards regarding these topics.

In addition, to assist prison authorities in the process of improving the treatment of prisoners, a 2-day capacity building session was held in Tirana with the participation of 34 prison psychologists and educators, who extended their knowledge on Council of Europe standards on mental health disorders and suicide/harm prevention in prisons.

In the same context, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the prison system, were developed in Montenegro with the support of the Horizontal Facility II programme, covering twenty-nine different well-defined procedures including priority areas such as the use of force, inter-prisoner violence, report writing, mental health, and prevention of suicide and self-harm. The SOPs outline the conduct of prison staff when dealing with imprisoned persons, including step-by-step instructions that ensure the prevention of ill-treatment and protection of human rights with an emphasis on combatting impunity.

An important achievement in Montenegro related to police conduct has been the training of trainers for the special police forces who will use their knowledge and skills to further pass them on through in-service trainings. This capacity building is based on curricula specially designed with a focus on the respect of human rights with an accent put on the standards of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).

In North Macedonia, key stakeholders involved in the the External Oversight Mechanism (EOM) attended the workshop on independent and efficient investigation upon complaints against the police and prison police. The capacity building session focused on state obligations arising from Article 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, along with case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, other international standards, existing investigative systems and safeguards against ill-treatment.

In co-operation with the Ministry of Justice in Skopje, the action to support prisoners’ rights in North Macedonia organised the presentation of the new National Strategy on the Development of the Penitentiary System in the Republic of North Macedonia (2021-2025) as well arranged for the delivery of medical equipment for 6 penitentiary institutions, located in Gevgelija, Idrizovo, Prilep, Shtip, Skopje and Tetovo, financed by the programme. The new Strategy is an important milestone that will contribute to ensuring a more secure and humane treatment of detained and sentenced persons in line with the European values and standards. This event was followed by the inauguration of a new children’s corner and library in the Prison of Prilep. Around 40 children and their families will benefit from this novelty, which has become possible thanks to Horizontal Facility II programme.

In the regional context, over the last 6 months, a total of 19 local inter-agency co-ordination forums on improving Violent Extremist Prisoners’s (VEP) management and supporting their reintegration back into the society took place in the Western Balkans. They brought together some 480 representatives coming from different levels of government, institutions and agencies, co-ordination bodies for preventing and countering violent extremism, civil society organisations, prison and probation systems, social welfare, mental health protection and employment services.