The Cabinet of Ministers approved the implementation plan of the Penitentiary System Reform Strategy for the period until 2026
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Operational Plan for the Implementation of the Penitentiary System Reform Strategy for the Period Until 2026 in 2025–2026. The relevant order was adopted to fulfill Ukraine’s international legal obligations in the field of European integration.
The document was developed taking into account the provisions of the Roadmap on the Rule of Law, approved by Government Order No. 475-r of May 14, 2025, the Action Plan for the Implementation of the European Commission’s Recommendations Set Out in the Progress Report of Ukraine within the Framework of the 2024 EU Enlargement Package (Order No. 300-r of March 28, 2025), as well as the Penitentiary System Reform Strategy until 2026, approved on December 16, 2022.
The reform of the penitentiary system is aimed primarily at the person – their dignity, security, justice and trust, which are the foundation of a modern state. The operational plan includes over a hundred specific measures, including the modernization of the infrastructure of penitentiary institutions and pre-trial detention centers, including the restoration of facilities damaged by the war, and the construction of a new modern detention center. Particular attention is paid to creating appropriate conditions for the detention of convicts and persons taken into custody, in accordance with national and international standards.
The plan also provides for improving mechanisms for preventing torture and inhuman treatment, in particular through the introduction of a dual system of inspections – internal and external, as well as the expansion of the video surveillance system.
A significant role is assigned to improving the medical care of prisoners, the development of educational, professional and psychological programs, as well as the introduction of modern security technologies. Among the tasks are the creation of additional places for detaining extradited persons and the involvement of convicts in education, work, creative activities and rehabilitation programs.
The implementation of the Operational Plan should ensure compliance with European standards and increase the level of human rights protection. Modernization of infrastructure, strengthening of the security system and effective mechanisms for preventing torture will be an important step towards building a modern, humane and fair penitentiary system in Ukraine.
