The EULEX Strengthening Division has committed to facilitating two workshops on prisoner assessment as part of its agenda to support Kosovo Correctional Services (KCS). Prisoner assessment is a tool which provides essential information on the prisoners and facilitates more effective rehabilitation and mitigates risks. Through effective prisoner assessment, correctional staff can comprehensively evaluate the status and background of a prisoner and consequently plan their sentences correctly.

The first workshop took place on September 16-18, while the second will be held on September 21-24 at the Kosovo Academy of Public Safety in Vushtrri/Vučitrn. The workshops are attended by correctional officers, social workers, block managers, and security staff. The training continues EULEX’s work in strengthening Kosovo institutions by supporting KCS in managing prisons and detention centres in line with European standards. 

The workshops are conducted by an external expert on prison and probation services. They focus on teaching motivational interviewing, a practical method to gather information from prisoners and motivate them to become decent members of society once they are released.  Motivational interviewing focuses on building a constructive relationship with prisoners, a key element in gathering information. 

A precise assessment is crucial in reducing the probability of a prisoner to commit further crimes after being released. As each prisoner requires different sorts of attention, accurate assessment gives correctional officers the means to focus on high risk prisoners who are more prone to repeat offences and thus require closer surveillance. The assessment also gives crucial information about the risks that individual prisoners pose to themselves and other inmates. Consequently, effective assessment provides tools to enhance the safety and security of KSC staff and other prisoners.