Professional training for Russian correctional officers

Senior officers of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service, Perm Region, studied the experience of the United Kingdom in probation work.

The final stage of the training course “Working with offenders in the community took place in Perm from 25 to 28 February 2013 at the Training Centre for Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia.

The project aimed at the development of the probation service in Russia has been implemented by the St. Petersburg human rights organization “Citizens’ Watch” in the frames of Bilateral Projects Programme funded by the UK Foreign Office, with the support of Vladimir Lukin, Ombudsman in the Russian Federation, Tatiana Margolina, Ombudswoman in Perm Region, and Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia at the federal and regional levels.

The training course for the staff of Russian correctional offices has been designed to reduce crime and protect the public. The trainees learned the basic methods of working with offenders and discussed cooperation of probation service with the courts, governmental agencies and NGOs. At the second phase of the training, Russian correctional officers received new information related to the experience of working with non-governmental rehabilitation centers in Perm, which provides assistance to persons with drug addiction (in the frames of the long-term program “Combating drug abuse and drug trafficking, prevention of drug use in the Perm Region for 2012–2015 ”).

The experience of the Perm Regional Court in applying restorative justice and mediation technologies in youth justice was introduced by the Court representatives.

On the final day of the seminar, 22 officers of the Penitentiary Service of Russia for Perm Region received certificates of completion of the training course.