Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze opened today a completely new penitentiary facility for 700 convicts. The Laituri Penitentiary fully meets all the recommendations of the European Committee on Torture and Inhuman Treatment (CPT). It is fully adapted to the needs of both the accused and convicted persons, as well as the employees of the institution.

Inmates are provided with high-quality medical services, sports infrastructure, all means of learning various professions, an auditorium equipped with modern equipment for a digital university, from which convicts can attend lectures online and communicate directly with lecturers.

About 250 employees of the penitentiary will take care of the safety, rehabilitation and resocialization of the inmates, during their sentence term, provided with comfortable working conditions, including free food and transportation; Both sports and recreation areas.

A branch of Public Service Hall was also opened in the institution, which provides access to state services for inmates and employees. The work of the branches of the Public Service Hall in the penitentiary institution is a Georgian innovation and has no precedent in any country of the world. The facility is fully adapted to persons with disabilities.

The presentation of the demonstration version of the "RE-BOX" project was also held at the event, which was created in active cooperation with the Digital Management Agency in order to increase the possibility of access to digital equipment for convicts and the effectiveness of resocialization projects.

Laituri prison is a first small-scale institution corresponding to the highest European standards. Replacing large prisons with small-scale penitentiary institutions is a priority of the Ministry of Justice, and the goal is to bring the Georgian penitentiary system even closer to European standards.

The opening of Laituri Penitentiary No. 1 was attended by Majority Deputy of Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti and Chokhataur, Vasil chigogidze, Chairperson of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, Tornike Rizhvadze, State Trustee in the Guria Region, Giorgi Urushadze, the Deputy Ministers of Justice, representatives of the executive and legislative authorities, and invited guests.

As part of the ongoing high-level conference in Tbilisi, the Saakadze Training Base of the Training Center of Justice opened today.

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze personally opened the Training Base together with the conference participants.

The Saakadze Training Base is unique in the region with various means gathered in one space. It will be possible to conduct universal and special training courses on site.

The base will serve the employees of the Special Penitentiary Service, the Probation Agency, the National Bureau of Enforcement and the General Inspectorate.

The Saakadze Training Base, covers an area of up to five hectares, has a shooting and driving range, auditoriums, sports fields, conference spaces, work rooms, a gym, running tracks, a simulation training center, a training courtroom, training prison cells, a medical station, hotel rooms, a canteen and other required spaces.

The event was attended by the Deputy Ministers of Justice, representatives of partnering agencies, employees of the system and other invited guests.

The high-level conference, which was dedicated to the innovations in the rehabilitation and resocialization process of inmates and probationers, ended with the opening of the Saakadze Training Base.

The conference was organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia, with the support of the European Organization of the Prison and Penitentiary System (EuroPris) and the US State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It was attended by high-ranking officials of 20 states, among them, ministers of countries, deputy ministers, general directors of penitentiary and probation services, heads of international organizations and experts.

The high-level international conference - "Innovations in the process of rehabilitation and resocialization of inmates and probationers" - concluded its session by adopting a declaration, which is a 12-point guiding document in the process of rehabilitation of inmates and probationers.

The conference is organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia, with the support of the European Organization of the Prison and Penitentiary System (EuroPris) and the US State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It is attended by high-ranking officials of 20 states, among them, ministers of countries, deputy ministers, general directors of penitentiary and probation services, heads of international organizations and experts.

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze summarized the work of the conference and expressed hope that the conference will lay the foundation for many interesting and successful cooperations.

Parallel to the conference, bilateral meetings were held with justice ministers, deputy ministers and heads of delegations of the partner countries; Mutual cooperation documents were signed; A visit was made to the Tbilisi Public Service Hall, and on November 3, the delegates of the conference will take part in the opening ceremony of the Saakadze Training Base of the Training Center of Justice.

The meeting of Rati Bregadze and Davor Bunoza was held in Tbilisi within the framework of the high-level international conference organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service. The Minister of Justice of Bosnia-Herzegovina is visiting Georgia to attend the conference.

The parties noted the importance of bilateral cooperation in terms of bringing national legislation closer to EU law. Bosnia-Herzegovina, like Georgia, is actively working for EU membership, and the sharing of experience between the Ministries of Justice of the two countries is particularly relevant in this context.

The Minister of Justice of Georgia expressed his readiness to introduce to the partner state the innovations introduced in the process of rehabilitation and resocialization of inmates and probationers in more details. Rati Bregadze suggested signing a memorandum of mutual cooperation to his colleague. The document covers a number of thematic directions and the area of specific events, which will further activate the process of joint cooperation.

Deputy Ministers of Justice also attended the meeting between Rati Bregadze and Davor Bunoza.

The Vice-President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) of the Council of Europe, Hans Wolff, is participating in an international conference in Georgia, the main topic of which is the innovations in the process of rehabilitation and resocialization of inmates and probationers. Through this unique platform, Georgia has the opportunity for the first time to introduce the progress achieved in the mentioned systems to partner states and international organizations.

The Minister of Justice and the CPT Vice-President discussed the current situation in the penitentiary institutions of Georgia. The conversation touched on Georgian innovations: the Digital University, Re-Market, an online store where inmates' handicrafts are skid, the opening of branches of Public Service Hall in prisons; It was noted that the process of replacing large prisons with small-scale penitentiary institutions is successfully underway - the Laituri penitentiary will be opened in just a few days, and the construction of a small-scale prison has started in Rustavi.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Justice of Georgia thanked the Vice-President of the CPT for participating in the conference and once again confirmed the readiness of the Georgian side to closely cooperate with the CPT in order to strengthen the human rights-oriented penitentiary system in Georgia and bring it closer to the best European standards.

Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia, Beka Dzamashvili and Director General of Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili also attended the meeting.

Directors general of probation services, representatives of international organizations and experts are also participating in the conference.

The declaration was signed in Tbilisi within the framework of a high-level international conference organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service.

The theme of the conference is "Innovations in the process of rehabilitation and resocialization of inmates and probationers".

Deputy Minister of Justice, Buba Lomuashvili and Head of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Execution of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation, Lado Kheladze held a meeting today with the Deputy Minister of Justice of Romania, Roxana Simona Mameu, Head of the Romanian Probation Service, Evelina-Denisa Oueslati and Vice-President of the European Probation Confederation (СEP), Iuliana Cărbunaru.

A declaration of cooperation was signed with the Romanian Probation Service, on the basis of which the parties will cooperate to promote institutional development in such matters as: juvenile crime prevention, restorative justice, diversion and mediation, rehabilitation and resocialization programs, services, volunteering, electronic monitoring and community service, probation and paroles, research activities and innovative technologies.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Buba Lomuashvili and Head of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Enforcement of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation, Lado Kheladze also met with Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia, Levon Balian and Director of the Probation Agency, Aram Nikoyan.

The international conference was opened in Tbilisi by Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili and Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze. The event is attended by high-ranking officials of 20 states, among them, ministers of countries, deputy ministers, general directors of penitentiary and probation services, heads of international organizations and experts.

Three thematic discussions were held on the first day of the conference. The first session was devoted to issues of digital transformation of the penitentiary system and the importance of using innovative technologies in this process.

Access to higher education for inmates was discussed by the delegates at the second session. The participants of the event paid special attention to the digital university.

In the third session, the issues of training and continuous education of penitentiary system employees were discussed. The importance of highly qualified personnel in the process of rehabilitation and resocialization of inmates was noted.

The international conference - "Innovations in the process of rehabilitation and resocialization of inmates and probationers" - gives Georgia the opportunity to introduce partner states to the progress achieved in the indicated systems in recent years and share the best practices of leading European countries.

The event is organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service, with the support of the European Organization of the Prison and Penitentiary System (EuroPris) and the US State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It is attended by high-ranking officials of 20 states, among them, ministers of countries, deputy ministers, general directors of penitentiary and probation services, heads of international organizations and experts.

The meeting was held in Tbilisi within the framework of a high-level international conference organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service.

The Georgian side shared with counterparts from Azerbaijan information about the innovative projects implemented in the penitentiary system; Namely: Public Service Hall in penitentiary institutions, which gives convicts the opportunity to receive all the services that the Public Service Hall offers to citizens; the Digital University, through which the mode of teaching is conducted online, with direct communication with lecturers; Probbox, which helps probationers to register and receive services unannounced at probation offices; The online store - Re-Market, where handmade items by inmates are sold and convicts earn income.

During the meeting with the Azerbaijani counterpart, the Georgian side particularly emphasized the high standard of human rights protection in penitentiary institutions and the implemented programs for the rehabilitation of inmates; construction of small-scale prisons - the first such facility will be opened in Laituri township in the near future; Construction of another small-scale prison is already underway in Rustavi. Small-scale penitentiary institutions increase the possibilities of effective management of the system and effective implementation of individual approaches and programs with inmates; In addition, there will be a greater focus on risk management and the requirements of convicts.

In a conversation with his Azerbaijani colleague, the Deputy Minister of Justice also noted that the Saakadze training base of the Training Center of Justice will be opened on the last day of the conference - November 3, for the purpose of continuous training of penitentiary service employees.

At the end of the meeting, the parties noted that sharing experience and further cooperation in implementing rehabilitation and resocialization projects in the penitentiary system is very important, which will be greatly facilitated by the three-day international high-level conference held in Tbilisi.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili and Director of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili held a meeting today with the Deputy Minister of Justice of Turkey.

Ramazan Jani is participating in the High-level International Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. The event, the main theme of which is the innovative approaches introduced in the process of rehabilitation of inmates and probationers, is organized by the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia, with the support of the European Organization of the Prison and Penitentiary System (EuroPris) and the US State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

The parties discussed the prospects of sectoral cooperation between Georgia and Turkey. The importance of signing a memorandum between the Training Center of Justice and the Academy of Justice of the Republic of Turkey, which envisages the holding of joint symposiums, conferences, workshops, trainings, seminars and the creation of joint digital learning platforms, was emphasized. The document is planned to be signed in November of this year.

Partnership relations between the Ministries of Justice of the two countries are developing especially intensively after the signing of the memorandum. The mutual cooperation document was signed by Rati Bregadze and Abdulhamit Gulthan.