OSCE Mission to Georgia supports reform of Tbilisi penitentiary and probation system

TBILISI, 8 June 2007 - Enhancing the professional expertise of probation officers and general staff of the Rustavi prison in Tbilisi was the aim of an OSCE-organized training course which ended today.

The course focused on the Georgian national legislation and international standards that apply to the treatment of inmates.

The officers, including new recruits, also discussed the principles, the role and objectives of the probation service and the classification of crimes.

"The OSCE is assisting the Georgian Government in realizing its penitentiary reform agenda," said Ambassador Roy Reeve, the Head of the OSCE Mission. "This project specifically supports the efforts of the Penitentiary and Probation Training Centre in enhancing the expertise of its officers."

Around 200 probation officers and penitentiary staff of Tbilisi prisons have already completed the course.