Prison Service Officers to be Certified in Armenia

In 2023, a certification system for prison service officers will be implemented within the Armenian Prison Service. Justice Minister Grigor Minasian announced this during a meeting of the National Assembly's Permanent Commission on State and Legal Affairs.

“The program will be pilot-based. In about 2-3 months, the program will be launched at the "Armavir" penitentiary (the largest one). Understanding all the shortcomings and advantages, the implementation of the system will continue in this format across all penitentiaries. This is similar to the reform of the patrol service, where the structure is replenished with new personnel,” Minasian stated.

He also mentioned that a new facility compliant with the linear model of penitentiaries is planned to be commissioned in the next 3-4 years, which will be equipped to hold 800-850 individuals. As a result of the construction of the new penitentiary facility, the "Nubarashen", "Yerevan-Center", "Convicts' Hospital", and "Vardashen" penitentiaries will be closed.