recommendations of the Public Defender requested to start working to create incentive mechanism for prisoners to be involved in various rehabilitation activities in 2020, which would have a direct impact on reducing the remaining sentence or changing the type of sentence. The recommendation was partly implemented. The response sent to the Parliament by the Ministry of Justice states that work is underway on this issue, a study and analysis of foreign practices and experiences is being carried out, which is being tested and adapted to the Georgian reality and the justice system. One of the recommendations of the Public Defender was to increase the number of social workers and psychologists in the establishments N2, N8, N14 and N15 in order to balance the number of social workers and psychologists in those establishments with the number of prisoners. The recommendation was partly implemented. The response sent to the Parliament by the Ministry of Justice states that the Ministry shares this recommendation and provides information on the steps taken in this direction in 2020. In particular, the response states that in 2019, the number of psychologists increased from 30 to 40, while the number of social workers (case administrators and case managers) increased from 90 to 120 in 2020. Despite the request of the Public Defender the recommendation to train social workers who do not have a bachelor's, master's degree, a degree equal to master, or a doctoral degree in social work has not been implemented. The response sent to the Parliament by the Ministry of Justice states that 9 social workers were involved in the training program in 2020, however, the training was stopped due to the epidemiological situation. The received answer shows that in 2021 the certification process will be renewed. Due to the introduction of special conditions in penitentiary establishments, social workers are based on the outer perimeter and carry out activities from there, meet convicts beyond the glass barrier and consult them via the internal telephone of the establishment. Contact between social workers and prisoners was significantly reduced during the year. It should also be noted that in such a situation, naturally, the recommendation issued by the Public Defender in previous years to ensure the implementation of short meetings in all penitentiary establishments without a glass barrier could not be implemented objectively. The Ministry of Justice sent a reply to the Parliament stating that the Ministry and the Special Penitentiary Service consider it important to make short meetings without a glass barrier in order to further improve the conditions of convicts. For this purpose, penitentiary establishments N12, N5, N2 and N6 have already installed infrastructure without glass barrier (in N6 establishment the application of the infrastructure started, which was interrupted by special conditions imposed due to the epidemiological situation in the country), while in other establishments the necessary infrastructure is planned to be ensured gradually. The response states that, as of today, short meetings are made in all penitentiary establishments using a glass separating barrier, given the epidemiological situation in the country and the special conditions introduced to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Despite the recommendation issued by the Public Defender, the role of social workers has not increased in periodically informing prisoners about their rights, responsibilities, submission of requests/complaints and review procedures. 29