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Counseling Meetings
In the context of
improving respect for the rights of convicts and boosting the effectiveness of
prisons personnel on this front, the Albanian Helsinki Committee conducted a
series of counseling meetings during November and December 2005. Meetings were
held with convicts serving prison terms in several penitentiary institutions,
such as those of Rrogozhinë, Peqin, Kosovë, Lezhë, Burrel, and Tepelenë. The
goal of the meetings was to provide free legal aid and familiarize convicts with
their rights and duties as established by law. The meetings were organized by a
group of AHC lawyers who have extensive experience in the criminal law field.
Legal themes addressed
in meetings with convicts were selected based on their preliminary needs as
submitted by the personnel of these institutions and on demands by convicts
themselves. Legal aid was provided in groups and individually.
Initially, the group
of lawyers contacted senior officials of these institutions in order to outline
the purpose of the meetings and seek facilitation for them.
At the end of the
counseling meetings, the Albanian Helsinki Committee forwarded concrete
recommendations and suggestions to the Ministry of Justice, the General
Directory of Prisons, and the National Chamber of Lawyers, regarding improvement
of the situation of convicts' human rights, improvement of living conditions in
the prisons, improvement of relevant legislation, and building professional
capacities in the administration of these institutions.
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