On the 13th of October, 2017 the first-ever Diploma of Higher Education received in penitentiary institutions was handed at Correctional Institution №4 of Department for Execution of Judgements of Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus in Gomel region.
Correctional Institution №4 in Gomel was the first institution in Belarus to start a pilot project for establishing Centre of distance learning1 and higher distance education for convicts. The project was launched in October 2015. Minsk Innovation University has provided its educational bases for it.
Two years later, the first graduate, who successfully passed the final examinations in "Accounting, analysis and audit", received a Diploma of Higher Education, thereby becoming the first female prison inmate in the history of Belarusian penitentiary system to receive higher education in a penitentiary institution.
The diploma delivery ceremony was timed to coincide with the celebration of International Day of educational in Prison (13 October). On that day, back in 1989 the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe issued Recommendations R (89) 12 "On education in prisons", stipulating that every convict should have a possibility to participate in educational activities contributing to his/her development and successful reintegration into society, and reducing the risk of repeated violations. The recommendations of the Council of Europe provided the basis for European Association for Educational in Prisons (EPEA) and were incorporated into education legislation of a number of European countries.
In 2017 a number of public and state organizations in Belarus and other post-soviet countries (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine) were established since these countries came in on the recommendations and other international standards on right to education. International Network of Penitentiary Education in the countries of the Eastern Partnership and Central Asia. The network is a voluntary association consolidating the efforts of organizations and experts to promote right to penitentiary and post-penitentiary education and to promote education as an effective mean of reintegrating convicts and ex-convicts into society.2
1The centre opening was made possible by the "Education opens doors" project, which was being jointly implemented during 2015-2017 period by the Representative Office of the German Adult Education Association in Belarus "Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband e.V." (Germany), Gomel region public association“Community Development Projects” and Department for Execution of Judgements of Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. The project was financed by the European Union and co-financed by DVV International (from the funds of Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and development).
2 Additional information can be obtained:
In The Representative Office of the German Adult Education Association in the Republic of Belarus
tel: +375(17) 207 98 35, email: malinina@dvv-international.by
Contact person – Marina Malinina
And in in the Gomel region public association“Community Development Projects”
Tel: +375(29) 730 53 88, Email: comdevpro@mail.ru
Contact person – Nina Kekuh