The Public Defender has repeatedly emphasised in his numerous reports that the conditions in penitentiary establishments should ensure prisoners’ public re-socialisation and reintegration. During serving a sentence, a convict should receive or enhance education and skills that are desirable and accessible; they should be enabled to take part in sporting, art, intellectual or other activities. All this is necessary so that a convict who served his/her sentence returns to the public as a wholesome personality. Under the Nelson Mandela Rules, the purposes of a sentence of imprisonment or similar measures that deprive a person’s liberty are primarily to protect society against crime and reduce recidivism. Those purposes can be achieved only if the period of imprisonment is used to ensure, so far as possible, the reintegration of such persons into society upon release so that they can lead a law-abiding and self-supporting life.156 Recreational and cultural activities shall be provided in all prisons for the benefit of the mental and physical health of prisoners.157 Every prison shall seek to provide all prisoners with access to educational programmes that are as comprehensive as possible and which meet their individual needs while taking into account their aspirations.158 A systematic programme of education, including skills training, with the objective of improving prisoners’ overall level of education as well as their prospects of leading a responsible and crime-free life, shall be a key part of regimes for sentenced prisoners.159 According to the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia’s published160 report on its annual activities of 2016,161 the Individual Sentence Planning (ISP) mechanism has been successfully implemented for juvenile convicts since 2009. In 2015, the ISP approach was also introduced in establishments nos. 5, and 16. In 2016, the Ministry of Corrections launched a pilot programme of the Individual Sentence Planning at establishments nos. 6, 12 and 17. ISP will have covered all penitentiary establishments by 31 December 2017, which is welcomed by the Public Defender of Georgia. Individual sentence planning implies the development of individual sentence plans for convicts. The purpose of individual sentence planning is to carry out proper assessment of individual risks of possible recidivism, create appropriate healthy environment in a penitentiary establishment and promote inmates’ participation in rehabilitation programmes. Individual sentence planning implies evaluation of the inmates’ needs in parallel to serving sentence in order to determine his/her specific requirements for psycho-social/rehabilitation programmes. The outcomes of the programme will have an impact on the risk assessment of an individual convict and decision about his/her early release.162 In 2016, various rehabilitant activities were carried out in penitentiary establishments; some of them are still ongoing. In the course of the year, prisoners could take part in cultural and sporting events, pursue general/professional education and study various trades. In this regard, establishment no. 5 sets the best example. 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 Rule 4.1. Rule 105. European Prison Rules, Rule 28.1. Ibid., Rule 106.1. Available at: http://www.moc.gov.ge/ka/saqmianoba/angarishebi Available at: http://www.moc.gov.ge/images/catalog/items/zzzz.pdf, p. 32. Available at: http://www.moc.gov.ge/images/catalog/items/zzzz.pdf, p. 32. NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM), 2016 81