Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 8
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend
Representatives of law-enforcement bodies and prison officials involved in providing psychological support to inmates discussed the main principles of their work and learned from international experts about relevant practices in the OSCE region at an OSCE-organized seminar that concluded in Ashgabat, the OSCE said in a message Dec. 8.
The seminar was organized to support the host Government’s efforts in building the capacity of penitentiary staff by upgrading their knowledge and understanding of professional standards regarding the treatment of inmates.
For the first time, the focus was on providing psychological support to convicted persons and preparing them for reintegration into society upon release.
“The provision of various social and health services to prisoners, including psychological support, and assistance in their subsequent reintegration into society are important tasks of every penitentiary system,” said Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat Natalya Drozd.
“This seminar provides an excellent opportunity for sharing practical experiences in this field with colleagues from Norway and we believe that such activities will contribute to further advancement of the country’s penitentiary system,” she said.
The seminar highlighted the main principles in addressing the rights of prisoners and how to integrate them in the daily work of prison staff, in particular when providing them health and social services.
Two international experts shared experiences from the Norwegian correctional service on how to protect the right to physical and moral integrity of inmates, treatment of prisoners who are under stress, suffer from mental-health problems or display anti-social behavior.
The participants exchanged views on the challenges in rehabilitating inmates and preparing them for life upon release with the aim to achieve their full reintegration into society.
The event is part of the Centre`s activities in supporting penitentiary reforms in Turkmenistan.