prisoners but no documentation is processed to register the number of sessions, working instruments applied and if there is any positive dynamic as the result of the activity. According to the response of the Ministry of Corrections, in the first quarter of 2016, social activities needs assessment for planning rehabilitation works was conducted in penitentiary establishments. 1193 convicts took part in the enquiries. Based on the needs assessment, the first taught stage of 2016 was planned. The second stage of the enquiries was conducted in September and 894 convicts took part in it, which in turn will be a basis to plan the following taught stage. According to the total data of 2016, 1325 convicts took part in professional and educational programmes.179 The Public Defender welcomes the steps made by the Ministry of Corrections towards the implementation of rehabilitation activities. However, it should be noted that rehabilitation activities were scarce in penitentiary establishments nos. 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 18, and 19; rehabilitation activities implemented in penitentiary establishments nos. 2, 8, and 15 were not diverse and the degree of prisoners involvement was unsatisfactory. It is noteworthy that, in accordance with the change suggested in the draft law on the Amendment to the Imprisonment Code, which has been introduced to the Parliament of Georgia, a convict placed in an establishment for preparation of release or a low risk prison facility will have the right to obtain the first academic degree of higher education (bachelor’s degree). The Public Defender welcomes this legislative amendment. Under paragraph 61 of the draft law, amending Article 88 is suggested to the effect of limiting the right of a convict to participate in educational process within the period of serving a disciplinary penalty. The Public Defender observes that promotion of educational process should be a priority in the penitentiary system. Therefore, if a convict is involved in the educational programme, he or she should not be restricted in this right while serving a disciplinary penalty. In accordance with the Nelson Mandela Rules, every prison shall have a library for the use of all categories of prisoners, adequately stocked with both recreational and instructional books, and prisoners shall be encouraged to make full use of it.180 Prisoners shall be kept informed regularly of the more important items of news by reading newspapers, periodicals or special institutional publications, by hearing wireless transmissions, by lectures or by any similar means as authorised or controlled by the prison administration.181 It is noteworthy that there is a library functioning in all penitentiary establishments. While there is no space for a library in establishment no. 7, the establishment still has some stock of books. There is a problem in a number of establishments regarding books in foreign languages. For instance, there are only Russian and Turkish books in establishment no. 3; there are English and Russian books in establishments nos. 9, 12, and 14; there are Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani books in establishments nos. 7, and 19; there are 179 The Opinions of the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia on the Recommendations Determined by the Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia regarding the Report of the Public Defender of Georgia on Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Georgia in 2015. 180 Rule 64. 181 Ibid., Rule 63. NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM (NPM), 2016 91