A working meeting to discuss the draft Program of vocational training and job provision for prisoners in institutions of the criminal penalties system and persons released from places of detention for 2021-2030 was held on December 22 in Dushanbe.
The organizers of this event were PO "Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law", Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (DVV International) within the framework of the project "Promoting Access to Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights to Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners in Tajikistan" (SECRET 3 ), funded by the European Union the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Main Department on Criminal Penalty Execution(MDCPE) of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan (RT), the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as representatives of public organizations specializing in this topic.
Ilkhom Makhmudzoda, Deputy Head of the MDCPE of the Ministry of Justice of RT presented the draft Program of vocational training and job provision for PRISONERS in institutions of the criminal penalties system and persons released from places of detention for 2021-2030, as well as an Action Plan for the implementation of the program. After the presentation, a detailed discussion of the Program and the Action Plan for it took place.
Director of PO “Jakhon” Shahlo Abdunabizoda, during her presentation noted the important role of vocational education in penitentiary institutions, since vocational courses assist prisoners in finding jobs after their release.
Director of the PO "Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law" Nargis Zokirova noted during the discussion that it is very important to point out professional education as a separate item, as well as to promote the employment of persons released from places of detention, since after release many of them face great difficulties with employment.
In turn, Shahlo Abdunabizoda proposed to consider the issue of granting benefits to those enterprises and organizations that employ former prisoners, with which all the participants of the meeting agreed.
At the end of the meeting, the participants of this event agreed that both documents need to be finalized. Ilkhom Makhmudzoda, Deputy Head of the MDCPE of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan, suggested that representatives of public organizations send their proposals to the MDCPE of the Ministry of Justice of RT in order to include them in the program and in the Action Plan.
It should be noted that the Program of vocational training and job provision for prisoner in institutions of the system of execution of criminal sentences and persons released from places of detention is being developed on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and is expected to be adopted in 2021.