Draft of the 2019-2023 Strategy for Penitentiary and Probation Sectors approved

During today’s session, the Government approved the 2019-2023 Strategy for the Penitentiary and Probation Sector of the Republic of Armenia and the Action Plan thereof

According to Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan, the goals of the Strategy are to make the transition from punitive policy to restorative justice, entrenchment of the principles of restorative justice in the sphere of criminal punishments, effective realisation of the goals of punishment, overcoming of the criminal subculture and of corruption in the penitentiary and probation systems, reduction of recidivism and ensuring of public safety.

Based on this, the following directions of reforms are defined:

• improving the legislation in the penitentiary and probation sectors;
• improving the conditions for keeping persons deprived of liberty, optimising and modernising penitentiary institutions, improving the facility conditions of penitentiary institutions and the Probation Service and increasing the technical equipment;
• ensuring accessible confinement conditions for persons with disabilities at penitentiary institutions;
• improving conditions for keeping minors deprived of liberty;
• overcoming corruption and criminal subculture; ☑ reviewing the recruitment policy of the penitentiary service and status of probation service, strengthening the co-operation between the Penitentiary and Probation Services;
• introducing tools for e-government in the penitentiary and probation system;
• re-socialising convicts and probation beneficiaries;
• improving the quality of provision of medical aid and services.

According to the Minister, within the scope of improving confinement conditions and optimising penitentiary institutions, the following are envisaged:

1.     close "Nubarashen" and "Hospital for Convicts" Penitentiary Institutions of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, and build in the territory of the city of Yerevan (in Silikyan block) a new penitentiary institution with a capacity of approximately 1200;

2.     close "Goris" Penitentiary Institution and build a new penitentiary institution with a capacity of 350 (the design is already available, and the institution is envisaged to be built in Khndzoresk);

3.     move "Yerevan-Kentron" Penitentiary Institution — located in the administrative building of the National Security Service — to the former auxiliary building of "Erebuni" Penitentiary Institution;

4.     close "Hrazdan" Penitentiary Institution and build in the administrative territory of "Sevan" Penitentiary Institution closed, semi-closed institutions and detention facilities, with a capacity designated for "Hrazdan" Penitentiary Institution, including an auxiliary building designated for detention as a type of punishment;

5.     Ensure a ventilation system at “Armavir” Penitentiary Institution, create the necessary storage conditions for a semi-open correctional institution, as well as build the capacities of medical in-patient facility.

Apart from the conditions of penitentiary institutions, it is also envisaged to ensure necessary working conditions for the territorial body of the Probation Service.