Head of Criminal Executive Service of Ministry of Justice of Armenia  presented to President the program of system transformations  

ArmInfo. During a working meeting with the Armenian President on March 29, the head of the Criminal Executive Service of the Ministry of Justice Rafael Hovhannisyan  presented the program of reforms in the system to Serzh Sargsyan.  According to the presidential press service, Hovhannisyan touched  upon legislative reforms, provision of prisoners with employment,  raising the level of first aid in Penal establishments and measures  to reduce corruption risks.

He also reported on a new order of detention of prisoners who had  declared a hunger strike. Another solution was ordering the order of  ensuring food diversity for detainees. So, according to the new  order, the food should contain the necessary calories, and the diet  should meet the physiological needs of the body.

Rafael Hovhannisyan also said that in 2017, as a result of the  implementation of the Council of Europe's program on the financing of  the EU "Strengthening Protection of Health and Human Rights in  Armenian Prisons," 11 penal establishments were provided with the  necessary medicines for primary health care. 800 medical and  non-medical employees of the penitentiary service were trained in the  program "Medical ethics and human rights".

Hovhannisyan noted that from November 1, 2018, a video call system  will be introduced for those prisoners whose relatives are abroad.

As part of the ongoing reforms, the living conditions in prisons were  improved - heating was done, 24-hour water supply was provided. In  2018, it is planned to open a sewing workshop at the Abovyan  penitentiary institution, to improve the conditions of detention in  the Nubarashen PE.

The President focused on improving the healthcare system in prisons,  food security for prisoners, improving security measures, as well as  on steps to combat corruption.