The changes in the penitentiary system of Cyprus brought stability, balance and humane treatment, said the Minister of Justice and Public Order Ionas Nikolaou, adding that no one dared to touch the multiple problems that this sector had been facing for years.
Welcoming him in Ayia Napa, at the opening ceremony of the 24th Conference of Prison Directors of the Council of Europe on "Offender Management: Tradition and Technology" organized every year by the Council of Europe, the Minister said that the Conference will contribute to the enrichment dialogue on the nature, extent and effectiveness of the various penitentiary crime management models and offender surveillance systems.
It will also help coordinate the action of the member states of the Council of Europe on ways of sentencing and treatment of prisoners and offenders using both traditional penalties and modern alternatives, including the use of technology.
He added that "the program, aims and work of the Conference address critical aspects of the penitentiary policy and treatment of prisoners and offenders, which are part of the criminal law and practice of most European countries. "The issues of prisons and the rights of prisoners have been firmly at the center of our attention, actions and priorities in recent years, as a Ministry."
The modernization of the penitentiary system and the anthropocentric treatment of the prisoners, continued Mr. Nikolaou "was the guide of our policies and actions". Targeted, coordinated and methodical, he added, “we have solved timeless problems of our penitentiary system. We have pursued and achieved innovative changes that have as their main axes the respect of human rights and security in prisons ".
He added that "we have tried and succeeded in establishing a new anthropocentric approach to the treatment of prisoners, oriented towards the observance of the principles of legality, control, equality and respect for the human rights and personality of prisoners."
In his greeting, the Minister referred to the "critical and decisive" role played by the Directorate of Prisons, which as he said "with consistency, seriousness, dedication and determination contributed the most, so that Prisons is not a place of degradation of rights, but an area of security, guarantee and continuous concern for human rights ”.
Mr. Nikolaou also referred to measures taken "with a clear orientation on the security of prisons, the humanitarian treatment of prisoners and their reintegration into society." These include "showing zero tolerance for human rights abuses or disrespect for human rights, ensuring equal treatment and equal opportunities in education, health care, care, recovery, sports and creative entertainment, and provision for psycho-emotional support of detainees and the taking of measures to strengthen detainees' contacts with their families ”.
He also noted that the Prisons were strengthened with staff to serve our penitentiary objectives, while the Academy of Penitentiary Employees was established, which "in cooperation with different institutions and bodies, basic education and training for all penitentiary employees".
Referring to the government's policy for holistic modernization of the penitentiary system in Cyprus, the Minister said that a fundamental change of the existing legislative and regulatory framework of the Prisons is planned, which will be in line with current perceptions and international principles of prisoner treatment. Above all, however, he said, it will reflect the positive changes that have taken place in recent years in our penitentiary system and noted that the two laws governing the operation of prisons and the treatment of prisoners will be tabled before the first plenary session of Parliament, immediately after the European elections.
The Minister of Justice expressed pride because as he explained “since 2015, recognizing the work being done and appreciating the good practices of the human-centered philosophy applied, many foreigners visit our prisons to study the very important changes we have made and the good practices are applied, leaving behind perceptions and practices of the past that are not in line with our culture ”.
After stating that his speech today is his last intervention as Minister of Justice after his resignation "for reasons of political correctness", he thanked the Director, her associates and the staff of the Prison Department for the great effort made by all these years. "The changes are extremely important because they have taken place in an area that has faced multiple problems for years and that no one dared to touch," he said. the holistic evaluation of the results of this new approach to imprisonment ”.
At the same time, he expressed the certainty that "the great work done in our Prisons will continue in the future, will continue to be performed with the same zeal and dedication after the delivery of the portfolio to the new leadership of the Ministry of Justice, because" as explained "Management and all the employees of the Prison Department believe in their function".
New methods of imprisonment have set criteria for a high level of operation of the Prisons, said A. Aristotelous
The anthropocentric basis of the philosophy and the new methods of administration and punishment that have been applied with respect for human dignity and diversity to modernize the penitentiary system, have set high standards and quality in the operation of prisons, said today the Director of Prisons, Anna , who noted that their work is highly praised by the Committees of the Council of Europe and other European organizations, as well as by United Nations Committees, which evaluate the functioning of penitentiary services.
Welcoming her at the 24th Conference of the Directors of Prisons and Surveillance Services of the Council of Europe, Ms. Aristotle said that "a number of our practices have been assessed as best practices and have been included in Council of Europe publications as well as in EUROPRIS forums" , to add that "for example, communication through SKYPE is recorded in 2016 as a good practice in the publication 'Handbook for the prevention of ill-treatment in Prisons'. five practices recorded in that edition ".
He also said that "our education system, which for the last four years is the same as the country's education system, as provided for in the European Prison Rules, has been voted in 2017-2018 by the EUROPRIS member states, as one good practice ".
He added that "the results of the modernization of our penitentiary system have attracted several foreign penitentiaries and ministries from various countries, as well as members of parliament from Germany, to visit our prisons to study, discuss and exchange good practices, appreciating the work." as well as the results that have been achieved in all areas in our department ".
At the same time, he said, "we have developed collaborations on issues of education, administration, and security, as well as various other issues related to the management and treatment of our detainees."
For the assignment of the 24th Conference of Prisons and Surveillance Services of the member states of the Council of Europe, the Director of Prisons said that "it is the sealing of all the positive changes that have been achieved in our Department, and it is an honor for both our Department but and for our country in general ", noting that" the Conference of Directors of Prisons and Surveillance Services attracts the largest number of delegates from the member states of the Council of Europe ".
The 24th Conference of the Directors of Prisons and Surveillance Services of the Council of Europe begins today with the participation of 140 Directors and other senior management from the Correctional Services and Surveillance Services of 40 Council of Europe countries. "The work will be completed tomorrow, Wednesday, May 22, and 40 of the delegates will visit our prisons on Thursday, May 23, before their departure," he said.
Famagusta.News