New centre supports rehabilitation of former inmates

A new facility has opened in Georgia’s capital offering a whole range of services to former inmates to help them rehabilitate back into the community and reduce their risk of reoffending.

Today the Ministry of Justice of Georgia opened a new Crime Prevention Centre office in central Tbilisi, which supports former prisoners by providing free legal consolations, appointments with psychologists and social workers, free training to get them back into the workforce and assistance with grants to pursue new business ideas.

The new office, located on Tsereteli Ave, was formerly an old building that was rehabilitated within the Government’s efforts to provide more services and support to former inmates.

Interior of the Crime Prevention Centre. Photo by Ministry of Justice. 

The Former Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Re-socialisation program, which was named as a major focus of the new facility, was initiated by Georgia’s Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukiani in 2012 to provide a range of support for former inmates and reduce the risk of their reoffending. 

Between 2013 and 2015, 1,621 former prisoners used the services offered within the program. 

The Former Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Re-socialisation program will be main focus of the Crime Prevention Centre. Photo by Ministry of Justice. 

In particular: 

• 403 former inmates were provided with legal consolations; 
• 235 former prisoners utilised psychological therapy; 
• 203 former prisoners were helped to find jobs; 
• 205 beneficiaries were retained in their professions;
• 232 beneficiaries were offered free transport cards; and 
• 42 business ideas of 43 former inmates were financed within the Ministry of Justice Grant Competition.