Served Friday night parliamentdraft law of the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection entitled “Reform and Modernization of the Criminal Code – Amendments to Law 2776/1999”.

The processing of the bill by the competent parliamentary committee will begin next Tuesday, 18 October.

According to the relevant GLC report, the bill under consideration amended the Criminal Code (No. 2776/1999), and the main changes are in the following paragraphs:

1.a. It is prohibited, in addition to what is already provided, to discriminate against prisoners on grounds related to their gender or sexual orientation.

b. The scope of the rights of prisoners has been expanded, with the possibility of appealing the conditions of detention in the Court for the Execution of Sentences in the prescribed manner. The Court may accordingly order any appropriate measure and/or award monetary compensation for the applicant’s non-pecuniary damage.

To this end, special appropriations are registered annually in the state budget. (Articles 1 – 8)

2.a. The number of members of the Central Prison Science Council (C.E.S.F.) has been increased by two (2) and its responsibilities have been redefined.

b. A procedure has been established for the Central Committee for Transfers (CEC) to give priority consideration to applications for the transfer of prisoners, and during meetings and in special cases, communication with a prisoner using telematics is allowed. (Articles 9 – 11)

3. With regard to the classification of prisoners by categories and the organization of penitentiary institutions, the following is provided:

a. Cases of detention of adult prisoners in strict regime colonies are specialized.

b. The age limits of young prisoners are being revised.

in. They are established and operate in penitentiary institutions or departments where women are held, nurseries with a special regulation on activities issued by a ministerial decree and regulating issues related to the program of work, specifications, staffing methods, etc.

Further, in co-authorship, in the women’s prison of Elion Thebes, the Psychiatric Ward for Women Prisoners and the Hospital Ward as a Special Medical Center for Women Prisoners are created and all relevant issues for their functioning (capacity, equipment, staffing) are resolved. , communication with the relevant units of E.S.Yu. and etc.).

d. The categories of special penitentiaries have been expanded to also include penitentiaries for crimes against freedom of the genital organs, penitentiaries for enhanced security, labor correctional institutions, and penitentiaries for financial crimes.

e. The conditions for the transfer of prisoners to special correctional facilities have been changed. (Articles 12 – 23)

4. Regulations on the conditions of detention of prisoners in prisons have been finalized, in particular:

a. It is provided remotely, using telemedicine services, medical supervision and clinical assistance to prisoners, in cases where correctional facilities operate in remote or hard-to-reach areas. At the same time, the conditions for the installation and operation of the telemedicine system, as well as other issues of implementing the regulation in question, are determined.

b. Each penitentiary institution has a dental department, which is staffed by a permanent, and in case of incapacity – visiting dentist. In order to cope with serious surgical dental work, the Korydallos Health Center for Special Prisoners operates a surgical dental department.

in. Provision is made for staffing the prisons with a sufficient number of cooks and establishing a special diet for women and infants with a doctor’s opinion.

d. The education and training of prisoners is regulated by adapting the provisions of the Code to the provisions of Article 74 of Law 4763/2020. (Articles 24 – 41)

5.a. Reinstatement of days of sentencing benefits for prisoners who provide employment of any kind or attend vocational training, training, schools, or educational programs, or participate in approved drug treatment programs.

b. The right of prisoners to communicate with the wider social environment is guaranteed through the computers installed in the penitentiary.

in. The scope has also been redefined with respect to:

– issuance of permits to prisoners,

– divisional construction of execution against freedom,

– disciplinary sanctions in the form of class restrictions, etc. (Articles 42 – 60)

6.a. New grounds have been added for ordering the transfer of prisoners, including grounds of a disciplinary nature, respect for rights based on gender identity and characteristics, and compliance with a decision of a court for the execution of sentences on conditions of detention.

b. Issues related to the termination of the execution of punishment are regulated (assistance of the social worker of the store, for announcing the death of a prisoner, etc.).

in. In the context of prisoner care, discrimination is prohibited with regard to the reintegration and adaptation of released persons in their social, professional and family environment.

d. Regulations on the supervision of the execution of sentences have been updated. (Articles 61 – 73)

7. Transitional provisions are introduced for the implementation of certain provisions of the bill being adopted and the provisions of the current legislation that have become invalid are listed. (Articles 74 – 77)

^{Source: RES-IPE}