Prevention of crimes committed by minors, re-socialisation programmes; Deputy Minister and Head of Probation Service participate in international conference in Georgia

Deputy Minister of Justice Levon Balyan and Head of the Probation Service Aram Nikoyan participated in an international conference entitled “Innovations in the Process of Rehabilitation and Re-socialisation of Convicts and Persons Conditionally Deprived of Liberty” in Georgia.

The conference in Tbilisi was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Justice of Georgia Rati Bregadze. High-ranking public officials from different countries, as well as leading specialists of the sector took part in the event.

Issues related to the sector of juvenile justice, the prevention of crimes committed by minors, rehabilitative justice, as well as other issues related to re-socialisation programmes were discussed at the conference.

On the sidelines of the event, a thematic exhibition was organised where the delegates got acquainted with PROBBOX and “Re-market” — the reforms that Georgia has successfully implemented.

The heads of delegations of partnering countries also held bilateral meetings within the scope of the conference. Deputy Minister of Justice Levon Balyan had a meeting with Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia Buba Lomuashvili, and Head of the National Agency for Prevention of Crime, Execution of Punishments not related to Deprivation of Liberty and Probation Lado Kheladze had a meeting with Head of the Probation Service Aram Nikoyan. The parties presented the innovations and sector-specific reforms implemented in the penitentiary and probation sectors; in addition, an agreement was reached to expand co-operation in the future.

Within the scope of the event, a tour was organised at a penitentiary institution where the participants got acquainted with the conditions for confinement of persons serving punishment at the institution and the innovative solutions proposed for the purpose of re-socialisation.