of re-socialization and rehabilitation activities; low level of staff knowledge and
qualifications; improper management of mental health, drug addiction and redundant
use of psychotropic substances; problems in provision of healthcare services; lack of
prisoners’ awareness of services available in the penitentiary system and procedures
to receive those services; etc.
It is quite common in penitentiary institutions for prisoners to go on hunger strike.
Analysis of such occurrences has showed that prisoner hunger strike as an extreme
form of protest is sometimes related to actions or inactions of the prison personnel.
Another extreme form of protest is inflicting injuries to self, which sometimes also has
to do with the prison personnel’s actions or inactions
Multiple factors contributing to the risk of recurrent violence among prisoners are a
serious problem in penitentiary institutions. These risks are exacerbated by the longembedded prevailing criminal mentality in prisons that has been in place for decades.
Gradual elimination of that practice requires a manifold approach, including the
measures listed below.
The reasons described above bring us to a conclusion that protection of human rights
and maintenance of order and safety in penitentiary institutions require a manifold
and systemic approach. The following organizational aspects45 need to be considered
in this process:
•• Appropriate legal framework (regulations);
•• Accountability (reporting mechanism);
•• Operational abilities and competence of the prison staff (ratio of staff to pris-
oners, organizational structure, staff skills and experience, prison staff ethics
code, prison internal regulations and disciplinary process);
•• Elements of dynamic security (staff interaction with prisoners, observation,
information gathering, knowledge of each prisoner, conflict management,
mediation, etc.)
•• A pre-made plan for incident and emergency management.
These organizational aspects are discussed in more detail in the relevant chapters
below.
2.3.2. ACCOUNTABILITY
Protection of human rights and maintenance of good order and security in penitentiary
institutions are closely related to accountability of the institution personnel.
International standards and norms refer to the need for a reporting mechanism as a
45
Ibid. p. 15.
NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM OF GEORGIA
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