Prison reform focus of conference supported by OSCE Centre in Bishkek

BISHKEK, 20 October, 2010 - Improving prison management and conditions in Kyrgyzstan was discussed today by more than 80 government and civil society representatives during a conference supported by the OSCE Centre.

The one-day conference was organized by Kyrgyzstan's National Penitentiary Service and the non-governmental organization "Citizens against Corruption" with support from the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Kyrgyzstan.

"The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, through its ongoing prison reform programme seeks to support positive change in Kyrgyzstan's penal system and bring it in line with OSCE best practices," said Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "The key to a well-managed prison system is careful attention of the needs and pressures for both those in life confinement and prison staff. Participants in this conference will examine the current conditions of life imprisonment and offer recommendations on improvements."

The Head of the Programme Office of UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Kyrgyzstan, Vera Tkachenko, added: "Integration in the world community, democratization and an improved legal system lead to the humanization of criminal policy in Kyrgyzstan through the abolishment of the death penalty and the introduction of life imprisonment as an alternative. However, many issues related to prison conditions for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment are still to be addressed."

The conference will be followed by a two-day workshop for prison personnel on how to treat prisoners serving life sentences, to be held at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek.

The conference and the workshop are part of the OSCE Centre's work to help authorities improve the rule of law in the prison system. They also form part of a European Union programme to support to penal system reform, implemented by UNODC Programme Office in Kyrgyzstan.