The Greek government has approached the Council of Europe to launch a program that aims to improve conditions within Greek prisons.
The programme will be a cooperation between the Greek Justice Ministry and the European Council, Kathimerini newspaper reports. Eftychis Fytrakis, the general secretary for Crime-fighting Policy at the Justice Ministry, initiated the approach to the European Council.
Fytrakis met with European Council officials to discuss the program. Kathimerini reports that the discussion revolved around training prison guards, improving medical facilities, and the treatment of inmates in prison. The Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) was also involved in discussions and commended Greece’s effort to improve prison conditions.
“For a number of years Greece has been on the receiving end of court decisions and fines for breaching human rights due to the holding conditions in its prisons,” Fytrakis is quoted as saying. “We thought we would ask for the Council of Europe’s support so they could provide the know-how to improve our correctional facilities.”
A team of instructors will be sent by the European Council to Greek prisons to train prison guards to this end.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
