Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TBILISI362
2008-03-05 13:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

NEW DIRECTION FOR PRISON REFORM?

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ1465
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSI #0362/01 0651336
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 051336Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9013
C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 000362 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM GG
SUBJECT: NEW DIRECTION FOR PRISON REFORM?

REF: 07 TBILISI 2450

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 000362

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM GG
SUBJECT: NEW DIRECTION FOR PRISON REFORM?

REF: 07 TBILISI 2450

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary: Representatives from the Penitentiary
Service (PS) and Ministry Of Justice (MOJ) announced March 4
that Tbilisi Prison Number 5 pre-trial detainment facility is
now officially closed. All prisoners have been transferred
to other facilities and MOJ plans to demolish the building
during the month of March. PS and MOJ representatives
signaled a possible change in approach from focusing on the
construction of new prisons to that of working with donors to
build a rehabilitation system for prisoners to prepare them
for a successful return to civil society. Approximately
2,000 prisoners have been released since the last months of
2007, which includes those who benefited from amnesty,
pardons and early release programs. The major obstacles to
crafting a rehabilitation scheme now are the lack of
provisions for it in the current Penitentiary Code, dedicated
MOJ funding, and a dearth of qualified social workers and
prison staff. MOJ and PS interest in constructing a
rehabilitation plan was welcomed by the international donors,
who have long wanted more direct interface with PS and MOJ
representatives and a closer working relationship. End
Summary.

Overcrowding: Tbilisi #5 closed
--------------


2. (C) Poloff and members from the NGO donor community and
representatives from the diplomatic community met with PS
representatives, Dato Kelkabiani (reftel),and Irene
Tsintsadze, and MOJ representatives Ketevan Akalkertsi and

SIPDIS
Levan Meskoradze to hear about MOJ's plan for prison reform
in 2008. At this meeting, Tsintsadze announced that as of
March 4, all prisoners who were being held in Tbilisi Prison
(pretrial confinement) Number 5 had been transferred to
Gldani,and Rustavi Prisons 2 and 6. (Note: none of the
later three are listed as being overcrowded either by
Ministry of Justice information, nor in the Council of
Europe's October report carried out by the European Committee
for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading

Punishment or Treatment.) Further, they announced that since
late 2007, approximately 2,000 prisoners had been released
due to amnesty, pardon and early release programs. (Comment:
PS agreed to compile and share this data by the end of
March.) In 2008, MOJ plans on renovating Geguti and Laituri
prisons, the later to which they will send prisoners who are
currently incarcerated in Zugdidi to ease overcrowding.
Currently, a new prison is being constructed in Ninotsminda
which will serve as a regional prison for southern Georgia.

New Direction for Prison Reform?
--------------


3. (C) Tsintsadze said the main two directions now for
prison reform was in the area of social rehabilitation and
health care strategy. If before the first phase was arrest
and incarceration in support of zero tolerance, then the
second phase was social reintegration of returning prisoners
to society. She voiced her hopes of more closely working
with UNICEF in regards to juvenile justice and training of
social workers. Tsintsadze expressed her appreciation to the
International Red Cross (ICRC) for the needs assessment which
will give the ministry a better idea of what kind of medical
care should be provided. Tsintsadze was hopeful that the
success of the Atlantis drug rehabilitation, which was
successfully introduced in Rustavi Prison Number 6 in
December 2007, could be further implemented into other
prisons. She agreed that qualified applicants for prison
staff was lacking, due in large part to the stigma of working
in a prison, and said that more needs to be done to change
this public perception. She admitted that there is a sizable
gap between the penitentiary and probation systems which
needs to be addressed to have a successful rehabilitation
program.

Obstacles to Reform
--------------


4. (C) NGO donors present cited the lack of provision in
the current Penitentiary Code for rehabilitation as a major
obstacle. As is, this code does not meet European Standards
and contradicts rehabilitation plans; it would necessarily
need to be amended. Other peripheral issues which are
problematic are the dearth of qualified social workers, and
lack of MOJ budget dedicated to rehab projects. Donors are
keen to find a better way to work with MOJ to prevent
duplication of effort, but until now there has not been an
active forum with MOJ representatives in which to coordinate
efforts.
How Do You Get There From Here?
--------------


5. (C) Ministry representatives agreed that the first step
in implementing any rehab projects would be to review the
action plan and use it as a tool to update MOJ strategy. MOJ
agreed to host the next meeting in early April which would be
dedicated to this effort. Once this document is updated, it
could be used to coordinate donor activity and a timeline.
All donors present stressed the need for MOJ involvement and
proactive support for the project to be successful.

Comment
--------------


6. (C) The deplorable conditions and overcrowding in Tbilisi
Prison Number 5 have long been documented. Resolving the
issue is a major plus for Georgian authorities. If PS
releases the statistical information promised and MOJ hosts a
strategic review as indicated, this could be the first step
in using the successful TIP (trafficking in persons) model,
which used NGO support, some of them quite critical of the
government, and government iron will, to successfully tackle
tough issues and implement reform.
TEFFT