Technical Assistance Projects

Lithuania

In preparing to become a member of the European Union (EU), Lithuania took a particular interest in the human rights standards and rules for prisons and other government structures espoused by the European Union.

The Canada/Lithuania Corrections Project (CLCP) evolved from several visits to Lithuania by senior members of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). In the initial stages, a concept paper was developed in consultation with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and with representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior in Lithuania. The project received approval for CIDA funding for a three-year period commencing February 1999 and ending March 2002.

At the time of the initial visits by Canadian correctional authorities, Lithuania, together with its Baltic partners Latvia and Estonia, had already begun working with the Scandinavian countries under the auspices of the Nord-Balt Prison Project of the Council of Europe (COE). Independent evaluations of its prisons had been conducted and improvements to the living and working conditions were in progress in an effort to meet the minimum requirements of the European Prison Rules. However, Lithuania believed that it could also benefit from Canadian expertise and involvement in its criminal justice system.

The CLCP was designed to include a strong NGO component. The primary consultant on the Canadian side was the John Howard Society of Canada and in Lithuania the Prisoners' Aid Association, which was a key member of the joint working group throughout the project. They were joined midway through the project by representatives of Lygtinai Isleistu Asmenu Prieziuros Organizacija (LIAPO), an NGO established to assist with the probation aspects of the project. At the initial stages, Carleton University School of Law was involved as a consultant to the Canadian team in order to provide any needed academic support.

CSC was assisted throughout the project with input and provision of experts by the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services and the Ontario Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services in the areas of probation and juvenile justice. Similarly, the Federal Department of Justice contributed its expertise with respect to criminal justice and young offender legislation. Canadian NGOs also provided specialized expertise to the project. This expertise was invaluable in helping to provide a comprehensive picture of the Canadian criminal justice system and sound advice to our Lithuanian counterparts on a broad range of criminal justice reform issues. Other ad hoc members such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Lithuania Social Services and local offender accommodation services attended working group meetings as needed.

It should be noted that there were many people from other organizations and Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services that were invaluable in the successful completion of this project.