Vulnerable people in the penal system

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Published: July 8, 2025

The challenges faced by drug addicts, mentally ill people, female prisoners and young offenders in the penal system are immense. These vulnerable groups need targeted protection and adequate care to ensure their safety, particularly during their time in prison. They also struggle with many problems after serving their sentences, which is why stable support structures for their resocialisation are essential to enable them to make a successful transition back into society.

The IRZ has addressed this important issue as part of its ongoing cooperation with the prison service and probation service in Kosovo by holding a two-day workshop for professionals working in the Kosovan prison service.

The Kosovar Director General of the Prison Service, Ismail Dibrani, the Director General of the Kosovo Probation Service, Arsim Tahiri, and the Deputy Head of the German Embassy in Pristina, Christian Böttcher, emphasised at the start of the workshop the importance of treating vulnerable groups in custody with care. Measures taken by the Kosovar justice system to prevent violence, abuse and discrimination, as well as humane treatment in general, are essential. The German experts from the Women's Prison in Berlin explained the legal framework of the penal system in Germany and the special needs of vulnerable prisoners. They also provided practical insights into rehabilitation strategies and the close cooperation between state and non-state actors, including in the field of probation.

This event in June 2025 highlighted the advantages of interdisciplinary cooperation between the penal system and probation services and raised participants' awareness of the needs of particularly vulnerable prisoners. The IRZ will definitely continue to work on developing the existing legal and institutional framework!