Final conference of the Project "Development of Quality Based Lithuanian Correctional Service System" was held in Vilnius
The final conference of the project „LITHUANIAN CORRECTIONAL SERVICE SYSTEM: YES, WE CAN!“ under the Project „Development Of Quality Based Lithuanian Correctional Service System“ was held in Vilnius on February 28th. The conference provided an overview of the Norwegian-Lithuanian cooperation during the implementation of the program, the relevance of the project for Lithuania, the good practices and examples adopted, the challenges encountered, new methods of teaching and learning, and a roundtable discussion.
When the project under Justice and Home Affairs Programme funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism was launched, its focus was on improving the quality of the Lithuanian correctional system. In her welcoming remarks at the conference, Ms. Ewelina Dobrowolska, Minister of Justice, highlighted that the first step was to invest in people, which meant strengthening the competences of prison and probation staff, implementing social reintegration measures for inmates, streamlining the processes of sentence execution, and developing the right infrastructure that is more user-friendly and effective for the resocialisation of inmates. The project has substantially contributed to the renewal of the correctional staff training concept and has also led to scientific research on the quality of life of inmates, which has served as a basis for reviewing prison structures. As a result, TOG units and dynamic security units have been established in prisons, which help to ensure effective direct work with inmates, and significant progress has been made in developing the Lithuanian halfway house network.
"The Justice and Home Affairs Programme, funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, has made a significant contribution to the modernisation of Lithuania's correctional system. This project's final conference is not the end of the cooperation. We will soon start planning new activities, which we will also successfully implement together," said Ms E. Dobrowolska.
Mr Virginijus Kulikauskas, Director General of Lithuanian Prison Service, recalled the beginning of the cooperation with the partners from the Kingdom of Norway, which dates back to 2014 when the first small steps were taken towards significant changes. He acknowledged that while there might have been some fear, mistrust, or suspicion initially, the need for the system was realised.
"Today, as we look back, all those who were and are still involved in the process remember how many challenges had to be overcome, how many internal walls and barriers had to be broken down on the way to a modern and professional correctional system, a system in which the safety and respect for human rights of both those serving sentences and prison staff are fundamental values", - said Mr V. Kulikauskas.
The Head of Lithuanian Prison Service extended warm gratitude to the partners from the Kingdom of Norway, colleagues from the Ministry of Justice, the Central Project Management Agency, and all those who contributed to the implementation of this project for their invaluable experience and support in achieving the goals, as well as for adopting the best practices of the correctional system and wished them continued success in the next decade of cooperation.
More than 100 experts from Lithuanian, Norwegian, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, and Bulgarian correctional services and NGOs, as well as Mr Ole Terje Horpestad, the Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vilnius, participated in the event.
You can find a recording of the event on Facebook account of Lithuanian Prison Service and streaming on Youtube channel:
in Lithuanian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0SVoNsh7Og
in English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gjKGerITh0
Last updated: 24-04-2024
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