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OSCE seminar addresses rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates in Turkmenistan

14 November 2011
L-r: Miroslaw Nowak, Penitentiary Reform Adviser, OSCE Centre in Bishkek; Begoña Piñeiro Costas, Human Dimension Officer, OSCE Centre in Ashgabat; Gintautas Klimavicius, Chief Specialist, Social Rehabilitation Division, Prison Department under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania; and Gabriele Grote-Kux, Specialized Officer, Unit of Administration of Justice, Pardoning and Social Services, Senate Department for Justice Issues, Berlin, at an OSCE-organized seminar on the education, rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners, Ashgabat, 14 November 2011. (OSCE) Photo details

ASHGABAT, 14 November 2011 – An OSCE-organized seminar on education, rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners was held in Ashgabat today.

The event was organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the S.A. Niyazov Institute under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The event was attended by more than 25 participants from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including prison officials and teachers from the Institute, the Parliament, the National Institute of State and Law under the President of Turkmenistan and the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under the President of Turkmenistan.

The event addressed the importance of promoting and facilitating adequate education, rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners. Work and labour integration of prisoners was also discussed.

International experts from Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Kyrgyzstan shared experiences of their respective national education and training programmes in prisons, leisure, culture, physical education and sports programmes for inmates as well as programmes designed for female prisoners, or children in detention. The experts also discussed international standards and national legislation related to work in prisons, and labour integration as well as training for employment and skills development.

“Education in prisons helps humanize these institutions. Inmates should be encouraged and allowed to use their time in prison to improve their education and learn new skills. Moreover, it is important that they are involved in work activities enabling them to use their existing skills or acquire new skills that may help them upon release. These activities will prepare them for eventual release and better reintegration into society,” said Begoña Piñeiro Costas, the Human Dimension Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.  

This event is part of the Centre’s activities aimed at promoting international standards in the penitentiary system in Turkmenistan.