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No subsystem left in Armenian penitentiary system without reforms, said Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia, Suren Krmoyan during a round table discussion on “Criminal Justice Response to Prison Overcrowding in Armenia”.

According to him, the overcrowding problem was somehow solved through the opening of “Armavir” penitentiary. He also said that the probation service in Armenia will contribute to the resolution of the problem. Krmoyan also highlighted the importance of the personnel and then noted that a healthcare program will be carried out in prisons with the support of the Council of Europe.

The Deputy Minister also said that all the laws and regulations in the criminal justice system are being subjected to reforms to conform to European standards.

Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, Naira Avetisyan said that the EU has been actively supporting the reforms in the criminal code.

“We are currently implementing a number of projects, one being directed at healthcare programs in prisons and solving the overcrowding issue,” she said.

It should be noted that representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Penitentiary Service, the Ombudsman’s office, members of the National Assembly, civil society and international organizations, judges and prosecutors attended the round table discussion. The meeting aims at presenting and discussing the results of a study on the overcrowding issue in prisons carried out in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The round table follows the conference on “Criminal Justice Responses to Prison Overcrowding in Eastern Partnership Countries” held in Tbilisi in February, 2016.

The round table is a part of a bigger programme, “Support to Criminal Justice Reforms” carried out in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe.