A number of issues relating to prison education discussed with members of the International Prison Education Network

Today, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Suren Krmoyan received the members of the International Prison Education Network. Representatives of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are in Armenia to participate in the annual meeting being held with the support of the DVV International Armenia Country Office.

Co-founder of the Network in Armenia Gayane Hovakimyan, Head of the Department for Drafting Anti-Corruption and Penitentiary Policies of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia Karen Hakobyan, representative of the Ministry of Justice of Brandenburg of the Federal Republic of Germany Fischer Horst and others also participated in the discussion.

Deputy Minister of the Republic of Armenia Suren Krmoyan greeted the members of the Network and presented the model of the Ministry of Justice for protection of the rights and interests of persons in places of imprisonment in Armenia, for prison education and for ensuring employment of convicts. Suren Krmoyan also touched upon the large-scale reforms that have recently been made within penitentiary institutions. In this context, Deputy Minister Krmoyan set aside the recent act on the most extensive amnesty in the Republic of Armenia and emphasised that it was not only a humanist, but also a very important step to return convicts to the society and re-socialise them.

During the discussion, the Deputy Minister also presented to the members of the Network the creative and cultural activities of persons in custody, emphasising that convicts are currently making various kinds of hand-made items and souvenirs.

During the meeting, the programmes being implemented within the scope of prison education and the upcoming actions to be carried out in the sector were touched upon in the conversation with the members of the International Prison Education Network.