Kosovo Correctional Service approves new guide for monitoring individual sentence plans

The Director General of the Kosovo Correctional Service, Ismail Dibrani, has signed the Guide to Monitoring the Implementation of Individual Sentence Plans. The document sets out standards, procedures and institutional responsibilities for tracking and reviewing the individual plans of people serving sentences.

Under the guide, individual sentence plans will not be treated as unchanging documents, but as working tools that are updated and adapted throughout the sentence. They will be reviewed at least once a year, or sooner if needed, based on the person’s progress and any changes in their circumstances, risks and needs.

The document aims to establish a professional, organized and multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of people serving sentences. To this end, each person should take part in rehabilitation, education, vocational training and work programs and activities tailored to their individual needs, risks and assessment.

The guide has been drafted in line with the principles and standards of the Council of Europe’s European Prison Rules. These standards call for individual sentence plans to be drawn up, people serving sentences to be involved in the planning process, risks and needs to be assessed regularly, and appropriate rehabilitation interventions to be identified.

Another important aspect is defining the role of professional staff involved in implementing and monitoring individual sentence plans. Clarifying these responsibilities is intended to improve institutional coordination and strengthen cooperation among professionals in the relevant fields.

Implementation of the guide is seen as an important development for the rehabilitation, resocialization and reintegration of people serving sentences into society, as well as for preventing recidivism. Through individualized and coordinated treatment, the Kosovo Correctional Service aims to make interventions more effective and help prepare people for a successful return to society.

The Kosovo Correctional Service expressed its gratitude for the support and professional contribution of officials from EULEX’s Correctional Unit, as well as Assistant Professor Rita Selimi of the Department of Social Work at the University of Pristina, who contributed to drafting the guide.

Cooperation with these partners has helped develop a structured, multidisciplinary approach in line with European standards and aimed at continuously improving rehabilitation services.