Ukrainian prisoners should be held like true Europeans

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the concept of the State Target Programme for Reforming the State Penitentiary Service for the period up to 2017.

As reported by an UNIAN correspondent, this was announced by Minister of Justice of Ukraine Mykola Onishchuk to journalists at the Cabinet of Ministers.

“The concept provides for the resolution of the most painful problems that have accumulated in this sphere. Firstly, it is the demilitarisation of the State Penitentiary Service so that it becomes civilian-based; that is, those who work directly in this system must receive a civilian education and hold the corresponding positions as civilians,” said M. Onishchuk.

The Minister also announced that the Ministry of Justice plans to create a special educational institution for training specialists for the State Penitentiary Service. “Currently, such specialists receive their education in institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” he recalled.

Furthermore, according to M. Onishchuk, the concept provides for changing the conditions of sanitary maintenance for convicts, bringing all standards closer to European ones. “It is also a matter of allocating financial resources over ten years for the construction of new institutions and the major renovation of old ones for the detention of convicts,” he added.

The Minister also announced that the concept includes a number of measures to prevent torture, as well as the provision of psychological assistance.

M. Onishchuk emphasised that the concept of the State Target Programme for Reforming the State Penitentiary Service was developed in accordance with the relevant Presidential Decree (No. 401 of 25 April 2008).