Major changes ahead for Georgia’s prison system

Georgia’s current prison system is set to undergo a major overhaul, with plans to retrain staff, introduce inmates’ rehabilitation programs and ensure more security at Georgia’s prisons.

The Government announced it planned to fundamentally reform the system to a more modern scheme. Changes will see the Corrections Department integrate and become fully subordinate to the country’s Corrections Ministry.

The Ministry said security standards would be improved with the changes. In addition, by September 2016 all staff of the penitentiary system will be retrained and new members will only be hired after going through a special training program.

The changes will also involve implementation of several programs to help inmates rehabilitate from their offending and re-socialize with society.

The Corrections Ministry said the best European practice, as well as recommendations by Georgia’s Public Defender, would be taken into account in the reform process.

A draft amendment was prepared that outlined how the reform will be implemented and the package of legislative changes will be soon submitted to Georgia’s Parliament.

Recently, Kakha Kakhishvili was named the new Deputy Corrections Minister. He moved into the public service after working in the non-governmental sector. Kakhishvili was a member of a temporary State Commission that oversaw the handling of the case of secret recordings of the private lives of Georgian officials and citizens.