The role of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the area of prison services has different facets.

Different from other European institutions such as the Council of Europe, the OSCE does not develop binding standards nor physically inspect prisons in a systematic and regular manner; instead its work in the area of prison services is based mainly on technical expertise assistance as well as the establishment of discussion forums for the exchange of experience between its participating countries.

The main aspects of OSCE work in the area of prison services are:

• Standard setting through recommendations;
• Technical assistance on legal reform, including transfer of authorities to the Ministry of Justice;
• Training of prison personnel, and
• Monitoring of prison conditions within the mandate of some of its field missions.

As a result of some of the Human Dimension Meetings, the OSCE has developed various recommendations which participating countries are expected to follow. The Human Dimension Meeting held in Vienna on July 2002 specifically discussed the issue of prison reform in OSCE participating countries. One of the important outcomes of this meeting was the agreement on specific recommendations setting detailed guidelines on areas of prison reform, prison conditions and prisoners’ treatment.

During recent  years OSCE has facilitated and provided expert technical assistance to countries undertaking prison reform process mainly in the area of transfer of authorities from the Ministry of Interior to the Ministry of Justice, including countries such as Taijkstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Technical assistance from OSCE has also included assistance in legally establishing independent mechanisms for inspection, such as board of public monitors in Azerbaijan.

It is generally accepted that lack of adequate training is one of the reasons for human rights abuses in prisons throughout the world. Within this reality and the fact that many OSCE participating countries have recently been undertaking transfer of authorities of their prison services, OSCE has particularly played an important role in the area of training of prison personnel. OSCE’s activities have included advisory and expertise assistance for development of training curriculum, such as in Azerbaijan, as well as actual training of prison personal staff on human rights standards as set by Standard Minimum Rules and the European Prison Rules.

Many OSCE field missions also contain a mandate on the area of human rights or rule of law, which might include the monitoring of prisoners’ treatment, and consequently assist in protecting and remedying human rights violations during imprisonment.

Analysis provided by: Barbara Nazareth Andrade de Oliveira, Legal Expert.