**Prison Conditions and Psychiatric Care in Georgia Under Scrutiny**
A recent report by the Council of Europe‘s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has raised serious concerns about prison conditions and psychiatric care in Georgia. The report, which covers activities during 2023, highlights a number of problems that need to be addressed.
**Informal Prisoner Hierarchy Still a Problem**
One of the main issues highlighted by the CPT is the continued influence of an informal prisoner hierarchy in Georgian prisons. This system, which has its roots in Tsarist Russia and was reinforced during the Soviet era, sees prisoners being categorized into different castes based on their status within the prison. The report notes that this structure continues to exist in many countries, including Georgia, despite efforts to eradicate it.
The CPT warns that if left unchecked, this informal hierarchy can lead to violence and exploitation of vulnerable prisoners, as well as undermine the state’s responsibility for maintaining order in prisons. In addition, the report criticizes the practice of delegating prison management to high-ranking inmates known as “smotriaschij”, who oversee dormitory life and enforce the caste system.
**Psychiatric Care Also a Concern**
The CPT also expressed concerns about psychiatric care in Georgia, noting that too much emphasis is placed on pharmacotherapy, with far too little invested in psychosocial therapies. The report emphasizes the importance of providing proper psychiatric care in the community to avoid the need to detain persons in psychiatric hospitals or extend their detention unnecessarily.
**Recommendations and Next Steps**
The CPT has issued a series of urgent and long-term recommendations to address these issues, including modernizing infrastructure, increasing and training staff, implementing risk-based classification, and strengthening whistleblower protection. The report underscores the CPT’s commitment to continued dialogue and cooperation with national authorities to ensure that recommendations are implemented effectively.
**Implications for Georgia**
While the report does not offer a detailed country-by-country breakdown, it references Georgia in select legal contexts, including the European Court of Human Rights‘ decision in Ashlarba v. Georgia (2014). Despite efforts to dismantle criminal influence inside its prisons, the persistence of caste-based systems continues to affect countries, including Georgia.
The CPT’s findings and recommendations have important implications for Georgia and other affected countries. By addressing these issues, governments can work towards building modern prison systems that are rooted in legality and respect human dignity.
