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The Cooperation Committee took place in the frame of Programme LV 08

On September 11, 2014 in Riga there took place the seventh Cooperation Committee of the Programme LV08 “Reform of the Latvian Correctional Services and State Police Short-term Detention Centres” (hereinafter – programme),

where was discussed the implementation of three previously determined projects of the programme, the problems and there were the decisions taken on the further development of projects.

The Cooperation Committee take place twice a year, and they are the platform for discussions and cooperation between Latvia and Norway regarding prisons and probation.

Since the co-chairman of the Cooperation Committee Harald Fosker, the Director of International Cooperation Department at the Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Services, retired this summer, the new Director of International Cooperation Department at the Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Services Kim Ekhaugen had come for the Cooperation Committee.

In the Cooperation Committee, the leaders of the projects previously determined within the framework of programme informed on the accomplishments within the projects and the activities planned for the next six months.

Imants Jurevicius (Jurēvičius), the leader of the State Probation Service previously determined project LV08/1 “Increasing the Application of Alternatives to Imprisonment (Including Possible Pilot Project on Electronic Surveillance)” (hereinafter – project LV08/1), pointed out that the most important activities of the project take place in three main directions:

• Training, where up to now there had been organized 18 out of 24 educational activities and 181 employees of State Probation Service out of 827 planned ones and 123 employees of the Latvian Prison Administration out of 389 planned ones have participated in these activities. In the nearest future it is planned to commence the training on the introduction and functioning of electronic surveillance etc.;
• Studies on the efficiency of programs and the instruments for the assessment of risks and needs;
• Development of the regulations necessary for electronic surveillance system and the preparation of procurement documentation.

The leader of the project emphasized that on September 4, 2014 the Saeima supported in the first reading the set of the draft law (“Amendments to the Criminal Law” (1201/Lp11), “Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law” (1202/Lp11), “Amendments to the Sentence Execution Code of Latvia” (1200/Lp11) and “Amendments to the State Probation Service Law” (1203/Lp11)), which envisages the early conditional release with the determination of electronic surveillance.

Maris (Māris) Luste, the leader of the Latvian Prison Administration previously determined project LV08/2 “The Establishment of a New Division at Olaine Prison, including the Construction and the Training of the Staff” (hereinafter – project LV08/2) , informed the members of the Cooperation Committeeon the activities performed within the framework of project:

• There have been the study visits to the partnership countries – Poland and Norway in order to exchange with the experience and the best practice regarding the work with the addicted prisoners.
• There had been prepared the documentation on the assessment of risk and needs, the therapy programme has been adjusted and the programme of social skills – elaborated for the purposes of work in the New Division at Olaine Prison.

Renate (Renāte) Fila, the leader of the State Police previously determined project LV08/3 “The Improvement of Standards for the State Police Short-Term Detention Centres, including the activities for the improvement of infrastructure; diminishing/liquidation of the practice of administrative detention; the change of practice by returning the prisoners under detention for the further investigation; the ensuring of the respective training for the staff working at the short-term detention centres” (hereinafter – project LV08/3), informed that:

• On May 6, 2014 there was the Project Agreement signed and commenced the implementation of the project.
• On May 14, 2014 there was the partnership agreement concluded with one of the leading partners – the Council of Europe. The experts of the Council of Europe have visited Latvia to inspect 10 short-term detention centres and 11 temporary placement centres, where the reconstruction and renovation will take place within the framework of project.
• On June 2-6, 2014 the study visit to the Police of Estonia took place with the aim to acquaint with the system of short-term detention in Estonia in order to study the best practice of Estonia in this sphere.
• On July 25, 2014 the first meeting of Management Committee took place at the State Police, where there were identified the possible risks of project implementation, proposed the amendments to the project agreement and partnership agreement with the Provision State Agency.
• In cooperation with the project partners – the Council of Europe and Provision State Agency – the reconstruction and renovation is being prepared.

Since one of the aims of programme is the promotion of bilateral relations between Latvia and Norway in order to exchange with the experience and the best practice, at the final part of the Cooperation Committee there were discussed the activities envisaged for the promotion of bilateral relations.

The closest of the activities planned for the promotion of bilateral relations and exchange of experience is the conference “The Professionalism of the Staff of Prisons and Probation Services regarding Correctional and Educational Professional Activities” organized on October 16-17, 2014 by the Ministry of Justice as the manager of programme. But the next bilateral event – the work group of the representatives of correctional services organized for the exchange of experience between the Latvian and Norwegian colleagues will take place in 2015, Norway.