Correctional Services including Non-custodial Sanctions

Programme Summary

Why is the Programme needed? The prison population rate in Lithuania is the third highest in the EU according to Council of Europe statistics. Although the penal reform undertaken in Lithuania in 2000-2003 managed to reduce significantly the imprisonment rates it has proven to have been short-lived and further action is therefore necessary. According to inspection and monitoring committees of the Council of Europe the conditions both in prisons and remand facilities remain a source of serious concern, in particular due to overcrowding, poor infrastructure and lack of appropriate health care.What will the Programme achieve? The Programme aims to improve the system of correctional services in compliance with the relevant international and European human rights instruments. This will be achieved through measures which aim at reducing overcrowding in prisons, increasing the use of alternatives measures to prison, increasing the focus on vulnerable groups in prison and improving the competences of prison staff and prisoners.How will it be achieved? The aim will be reached by

• refurbishing prisons and replacing dormitory accommodation with cells, in order to bring the general conditions and standard living-space  of prisoners in line with international standards;
• establishing 4 new open prisons;
• introducing electronic monitoring for conditionally released convicts and the method of mediation to the criminal justice system;
• increasing health standards and creating a separate section for treatment of drug addicted prisoners under the prison hospital renovated     under the programme;
• purchasing five apartments to accommodate mothers with babies outside the prison;
• establishing an education facility for 70 juveniles and adding training courses for both prisoners and prison staff.

The Programme will be implemented through five pre-defined projects and an open call, which aims at one large project introducing mediation services into the criminal justice system.How will bilateral relations be strengthened? The Correctional Services in Norway (KSF) is a designated Donor Programme Partner (DPP) and the aim is to establish additional Norwegian partnerships within the projects. The partnership between the Norwegian and Lithuanian Correctional Services builds on an already established cooperation from previous funding periods and has the potential to grow stronger through continued relations. Exchange of knowledge and study trips have already taken place and are foreseen during implementation of the projects as well as bilateral cooperation on a wider more strategic level involving conferences, seminars, workshops, high level meetings and participation in international conferences, including conferences organized with other Programme Operators in the same Programme Area in other Beneficiary States.What are the partnership opportunities?

• The programme is suited for partnerships of public institutions working in the field of correctional services as well as public, private and non-governmental organizations working in the field of mediation.
• The estimated project size of the pre-defined projects ranges from €700.000 to €3,000,000.
• One open call is foreseen for a mediation project of the size of approximately €500,000.

Who can apply for funding under this programme? Any entity, public or private, commercial or non-commercial and non-governmental organizations, established as a legal person in Lithuania as well as inter-governmental organisations operating in Lithuania can apply for funding under the open call.