Publication
The launch of the
Handbook “An Approach of Human Rights to Prison Management”, 3rd May 2005
The handbook “An Approach of Human Rights to Prison
Management” was translated for the first time and launched by the AHC with the
financial funding of the SHC. Albanian language was the 13th language that the
book was translated and target first and foremost the prison administration
dealing with pre-trial detainees and convicts in their daily activities as well
to a broader target group such as policy making and decision making, legislative
and executive bodies working in the area of prisons, NGOs, researchers and
students interested in this area.
The objective with this activity was to contribute to
capacity building of the Prison Administration in areas of institution
management from the perspective of human rights standards. Participants in this
special event were representatives from Ministry of Justice, Supervising
Commission on the Execution of the Penal Decisions at the Ministry of Justice,
The General Directorate of Prisons, Prison Governors, Ombudsperson in Tirana,
Magistrate School, NGOs working in the penitentiary area, international
organisms like OSCE office in Tirana etc., AHC Members/Staff/ and Monitors.
The Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Anastas Duro and the
General Director of Prisons, Mr. Engjëll Hysi after being introduced to the book
appreciated the initiative of the AHC and thanked specially the financial
support of the SHC to have the book translated into Albanian language as well.
They both emphasized that this publication will be an invaluable asset for the
prison administration in general and in particular for management teams in each
penitentiary institution. Then later the author of the book Mr. Andrew Coyle
made an introductory speech on the handbook and its use from the part of the
prison administration. The Programs’ Coordinator of the AHC and the Director of
the project “Prison Reforms and the Role of the Civil Society in Albania” Mrs.
Edlira Papavangjeli, presented the audience with some of the reasons behind this
initiative to translate this handbook for the Albanian target group as well.
The national media followed closely the event[1]
and all the participants congratulated AHC in successfully producing this
translation.
Session introducing the Handbook on “An Approach of Human
Rights to Prison Management”, 4rth May 2004
On the 4th May 2005, AHC had invited in a morning session the
immediate target group, that is all Prison Governors in the Republic of Albania,
the heads of the education sector of these respective penitentiary institutions,
the highest officials of the General Directorate of Prisons aiming at
introducing the handbook, its main principles on prison management and the human
rights standards that are the guidelines and the integral part of this
publication.
The opening speeches of Mr. Engjëll Hysi, General Director
of the GDP and Mrs. Edlira Papavangjeli, Programs’ Coordinator of the AHC and
the speech of the moderator, Mr. Jan van den Brand, expert involved in this
project highlighted from different perspectives the benefits of using this book
in the daily activities in running prisons according to all accepted
international standards. Mr. Andrew Coyle, the author of this Handbook
provided the participants with an insight on international developments in the
prison area and the implementation of human rights standards. In his lecture[2]
Mr. Coyle, was focused on exactly two main topics: human rights and prison
management. The lecture was followed with a practical guide of how to use the
handbook in the daily work of the prison administration.
Mr. Per Colliander focused his attention on chapter six of this handbook and
analyzed and illustrated for the participants aiming at the using in practice of
this book.
To sum up I would like to refer to some of the main points
brought by Mr. Andrew Coyle in his speech that prisons play a very important
role in the public services; while managing prisons prison administration should
be guided by accepted principles; prisons should be managed within an ethical
context which respect the dignity of each person/group in prison: the prisoners,
prison staff and visitors; the good management of prisons should be always seen
from the perspective of human rights and values which could guarantee the social
integration of persons deprived of their liberty and their rehabilitation into
the society after their release.
The media covered this event extensively. More concretely,
there were representatives of 7 different broadcast media such as TVA, News 24 ,
Neser TV, ATN 1, Vizion +, Al-Sat TV, TVSH, 2 radio channels such as Radio New
Plan, Radio Tirana, 4 print media such as Koha Jone, Gazeta Albania, Gazeta Sot,
Associated Press. There was an interview given by Mrs. Edlira Papavangjeli, AHC
in one of the national TV channels.
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