Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Addicted Convicts Inaugurated in Turkmenistan

Tejen (Turkmenistan), 26 February 2010 – The EU-UNDP Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP) handed over a refurbished and equipped building of the rehabilitation centre at the Labour and Treatment Facility in the city of Tejen to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan.  

The total cost of refurbishment works and equipment (furniture, medical and office equipment) amounted to €203,000.

Representatives of the Europa House, TACIS, UNDP, UNODC, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the State Service on Fight against Drug Abuse participated in the handover ceremony. 

At present, Turkmenistan along with other Central Asian countries supports the Atlantis counselling twelve-step programme to stop drug dependence and introduces community reintegration measures for prisoners and ex-prisoners in pilot prisons.

Together with their Central Asian colleagues, Turkmen prison officers participated in a study tour to Poland in May 2009. It helped national authorities to become acquainted with the European best practices and effectiveness of the Atlantis projects in other prisons. 

In August 2009 the CADAP Programme provided training on the Atlantis programme for the personnel of the Labour and Treatment Facility, Medical Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and representatives of the Ministry of Health. 

The overall objective of the EU-UNDP CADAP is the gradual adoption of the EU good practices on drug policy covering both supply and demand reduction aspects by beneficiary authorities.