Programme for
Reform of the Pawlodar Prison Colonies and Fight against Tuberculosis 1998-2000
In July 1997 a delegation of representatives from PRI
and the Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Association (KNCV) visited the prison colonies in
the Pawlodar Oblast of Kazakhstan. The delegation spent seven days in Pawlodar, visiting
all the prison colonies and a pre-trial isolator prison, which was the worst of all in
terms of conditions for prisoners. Results of the study were short-term recommendations on
immediate assistance to prisoners suffering from TB, and long-term recommendations on
prison reform in the Pawlodar oblast. Using the delegation's recommendations as the basis
of its proposal, the Dutch Interchurch Aid successfully bid to the Netherlands government
and other Dutch donors for the funding of a pilot project at the beginning of 1998, and a
three year project beginning in mid 1998.
The project has two elements: the first is concentrating on the problems of TB and is
being led by the Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Association; the second is the prison
reform project led by PRI in conjunction with the
International Centre for Prison Studies,King's College, London. This latter project will
be led by Andrew Barclay with a team of experts from Poland - Grzegorz Dobranski and Jacek
Staszyszyn -, and from the UK - Arthur de Frisching.
The first stage of the programme will be a seminar in Pawlodar in July 1998 for
selected staff from all colonies and from both the regional and national headquarters.
The objective of the seminar is to familiarise staff with the principles of strategic
planning for prison reform in Pawlodar by introducing the relevant international
instruments, examining the successful reforms in Poland, and starting work on the first
stages of strategic planning. A visit to Poland in September by a group of staff to
observe and discuss practice there will be followed by a further visit and seminar in
November when the experts will assist staff in the next stages of strategic planning in
Pawlodar.
In the second year the experts will return to help with the implementation and review
of the plans. A major event in the programme will take place in 1999 when a conference on
alternatives to prison will be sponsored in Pawlodar. Assessment of progress will occur
during the third year.
PRI is optimistic that this could be a model project for future programmes of prison
reform in different countries in the region.
