Training of the specialist services in the Correctional Facility (psychologists and social workers) in Karbi; left to right Amalia Wuckert, Project Manager IRZ Bonn, Zonik Margaryan, Director of the Training Centre in Karbi; Senior Psychology Counsellor Betina Schilling, Deputy Head of Education Centre for the Penitentiary System in Baden-Württemberg; Senior Government Director Thomas Müller; District Councillor Heiko Oberle; Deputy Head of the Penitentiary Department of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia Tadevos Nalbandyan. Armenia
IRZ is supporting Armenia in converting the penitentiary system into a rehabilitation plan system, and has been providing consultations and staff training at various prisons for several years as part of the reforms.
In accordance with the Armenian Penitentiary Code dated 1 September, 2022 a commission must be formed to evaluate the rehabilitation measures that should be carried out. The results of work with a prisoner are evaluated individually and, in the case of early or conditional release, the commission makes a recommendation to the court. The members of the commission include psychologists and social workers. There is therefore an urgent need to provide further training to specialist staff, particularly in these two professions, to draw up an individual implementation plan and to conduct an expert assessment to then make the relevant recommendation. Thus the concept of providing such training arose.
IRZ is using the current series of measures to focus on social workers and psychologists who took part in the first pilot project on the penitentiary system (2017-2020).
In this context, from 4-7 May, 2023, IRZ held the first training session for the specialist services in the Correctional Facility arising from the series of measures “Measures for diagnostics and prognosis and the implementation of treatment programmes in the training centre in Karbi”.
The training was opened by Tadevos Nalbandyan, Deputy Head of the Penitentiary Department of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia, the Head of the Training Centre, Zonik Margaryan, and Amalia Wuckert, IRZ Project Manager responsible for Armenia. The training was predominantly conducted by Betina Schilling, Senior Psychology Counsellor and Deputy Head of the Training Centre at the Centre for the Penitentiary System in Baden-Württemberg as an expert from the IRZ. Thomas Müller, Senior Government Director and Head of the Karlsruhe Correctional Facility and Senior Official Heiko Oberle, Head of Administration at the Mannheim Correctional Facility, took part in the first day of training as the German experts.
The event focused on the following topics:
Measures for diagnosis and prognosis
Implementation of treatment programmes for sex offenders and violent offenders; the role of specialist services
Criteria for measures to open the prison and for preparation for release
Criteria for a conditional release
In addition to exploring these topics and the discussions, the aim of the training was to create a template for writing statements. All these objectives were achieved. The interest in the topics of the event and in the discussion was consistently very high. The content that was communicated on the subject of implementation, prognosis and recidivism was successfully implemented in group work.
There is a clear willingness to implement reforms. The participants were extremely enthusiastic and proactive, and engaged in some lively discussions.
Participants of the workshop at Vanadzor JVA (correctional facility), at the speaker’s table (from left to right): senior civil servant Heiko Oberle, deputy governor of the Mannheim JVA; senior government director Thomas Müller, governor of the Karlsruhe JVA Armenia
Armenia is restructuring the penitentiary system into a prison plan system. As part of these reforms, IRZ conducted a workshop for the employees of the Vanadzor correctional facility (JVA). The main topics were holistic concepts, individual prison planning and the introduction of efficient administrative structures.
The participants included the head of the Vanadzor JVA and the head of the Social and Psychological Work Department in the Penal System Department of the Republic of Armenia, Tzovinar Tadevosyan, along with 23 employees, including psychologists, social workers and employees of the operational security department.
The project was supported by IRZ expert Thomas Müller, Senior Government Director and Director of the Karlsruhe JVA and other colleagues, who has provided consultancy services in the penal system for several years. Heiko Oberle, Deputy Governor of Mannheim JVA therefore also took part in this workshop. Both experts conducted the interactive training directly on site.
On the first working day, both German experts visited the Vanadzor facility to design the workshop around the circumstances at the facility.
The following topics were then discussed on the first day of training:
Summary of the legal situation and restructuring of the quarantine station into a prison plan system (diagnosis with reference to the planned working group at the training centre, treatment measures, security measures and regime)
Introduction of treatment measures (presentation of the modular program)
Creation of work and leisure opportunities for prisoners
Management structures in prisons
Working groups were then created and the following work assignments were formulated:
How can the quarantine station be transformed into an access department, where an examination is carried out to determine the problems that require treatment, and how can individual rehabilitation measures be defined in a conference? What personnel and material equipment would be required for this?
If you look at the prisoners in your institution, what are the problems that need to be treated and what approaches could be adopted to treat the problems?
What work and leisure opportunities could be created in your institution? What personnel and material requirements would be required to do this? For which products would a sales outlet exist? Are the appropriate rooms/premises available?
What opportunities do you see in terms of structural changes in the institution to improve motivation and recognition for staff? What would be required to achieve this?
One representative from each working group presented the results, which were then discussed intensively with the participants and the German experts.
Work assignments to create practical concepts were formulated at the end of the workshop based on the results of the working groups, which the participants should compile for the next session, which is likely to be held in spring 2023.
Haykuhi Harutyunyan, BC Project Leader, Chairperson of the Corruption Prevention Commission of Armenia; H.E. Mr. Viktor Richter, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia; Silja Kasmann, Deputy head of Cooperation , EU Delegation to Armenia; Edgar Mkrtchyan, Head of Deputy Prime Minister’s office; Nvard Vardanyan, Deputy Secretary General, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Armenia; Klāvs Sniedze, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Latvia to Georgia and Armenia (from left to right) Armenien
IRZ, together with its junior partner, the Latvian Ministry of Justice, held a Kick-Off meeting on October 4, 2022 in Yerevan to present the Twinning project "Fostering integrity and preventing corruption in the public sector in Armenia". The main beneficiaries of the project are the Corruption Prevention Commission and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia.
The Kick-Off event was opened by the Head of the Deputy Prime Minister’s office of Armenia, the Deputy Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Armenia, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Latvia to Georgia and Armenia, and the Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia.
The project leaders from Armenia, Germany and Latvia as well as experts from the Armenian, German and Latvian project partners presented the project components:
In order to improve the environment for corruption prevention in the Republic of Armenia, this project aims develop anticorruption (integrity) education and public awareness programmes and related institutional capacities, and assist in their implementation. This target will be pursued in close cooperation with the main beneficiary of the project, the Corruption Prevention Commission of Armenia, established in 2020. The implementation has the full support of the Armenian Ministry of Justice and the Armenian Prime Minister behind it. The Twinning project works closely with other international actors in Armenia, such as the Council of Europe, Transparency International and the United States Agency for International Development.
The Twinning Project aims to advance the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy, in particular by strengthening the monitoring capacity of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development and Monitoring Department of the Armenian Ministry of Justice.
Corruption entails profound social problems, posing a serious threat to the rule of law and democracy. Inequalities are exacerbated, social justice dwindles, good governance and citizens' trust in public institutions are systematically undermined. Corruption also has a negative impact on the prosperity and economic growth of any country by unsettling businesses, lowering investment levels and hindering fair competition. Therefore, the EU underlines the urgent need to focus on the prevention of corruption at a global level.
This Twinning Project aims to support the ongoing efforts of Armenian public institutions, civil society and people to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity in the country.
