The EU program for Juvenile Probationers
Invited guests:
Teona Kuchava – UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund – Specialist of Juvenile Justice,
Tato Kelbakiani - Ministry of Correction and Legal Assistance of Georgia, Assistant Chairman of Penitentiary Department,
Natia Imnadze – the head of Investigation and Monitoring Department
Expert consideration:
Kerry Nil - An officer of the program "Child protection" - UNICEF,
Geno Geladze - Director of Non – Governmental Institution "Democratic Institute".
Discussed issues:
The main subject of the dialogue was the reform of Juveniles Justice in Georgia, issues concerning the ways in which EU supports the improvement of Juveniles Justice, how the legislative ground for the treatment with juvenile offenders is reinforced, topics capitalizing juvenile imprisonment or alternative measures including re-socialization and re-integration, rehabilitative programs, and regulations on criminal responsibilities of juveniles reached full legal age.
According to Tato Kelbakiani’s declaration Georgian government’s prerogative goal is to elaborate the system of Juveniles Justice in compliance with the international norms and standards, focusing on the measures of crime prevention, rehabilitation and re-integration. Reform is being worked out by the interdepartmental Coordination Counsel. In this respect Georgian government has received a substantial support from the EU which consequences in the development of Human Resources management and capitalization of appropriate political directions. UNICEF in collaboration with the EU and Netherlands’ government is attempting to solve numerous problems connected with juvenile offenders throughout Georgia. Crucial points of the topic were analyzed by Teona Kuchava - Specialist of Juvenile Justice UNICEF.
Aspects of treatment with adults conflicting with Law enforced within the states throughout the EU members network were overviewed by Kerry Nil - an officer of the program "child protection" – UNICEF.
Geno Geladze Director of Non – governmental Institution "Democratic Institute" presented a project "Juvenile Rehabilitation after serving the sentence" which is processed by the organization with the financial support of the EU.
Natia Imnadze focused on basic monitoring processes undergone in the departments where juvenile offenders serve their sentence and observed residential facilities and healthcare procedures in prisons.
In 2009 11th European Commissioner for external Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Ms. Ferrero-Waldner in her report of achieved results and fulfilled objectives within Georgia through 2008, figured out reforms undertaken in the system concerning Supremacy of Law and underlined procedures carried out towards Legal Aid, accommodation improvement in prisons, enforcements against torture and personal insulting. Justice and Juvenile Justice perfection are the prior directions of European Eastern Partnership Action Plan through Georgia.
Georgian government declared readiness to improve Juvenile Justice system in correspondence with International standards the ground of which will be determined upon criminal prevention, rehabilitation and re-integration.
