Project title

The project objective is to offer psychosocial help and consultations for HIV-positive and drug addicts in Estonian prisons. Also to work out for Convictus Estonia a comprehensive methodology that gives an oversight of methods used in prison support groups education on HIV prevention.

The main goals:

• ARV and drug addiction counseling for HIV-positive and drug using prisoners in all Estonian prisons.
• Develop Convictus Estonian's prison project methodology and offer supervision for staff involved.
• Give out a guidebook of Convictus Estonian's prison project methodology.

Target groups:

• HIV-positive prisoners.
• Prisoners with drug addiction.
• Inmates in all Estonian prisons.
• Staff involved in project.

During the project implementation NGO Convictus Eesti had provided counselling for 230 inmates in Tallinn, Tartu, Maardu, Murru, Harku and Viru prisons. Organization had also organised trainings for prison staff in Tartu, Viru and Murru prisons. The training sessions included the following topics:

• ARV treatment and counselling;
• 12 steps program and the mechanism of addiction;
• Harm reduction in prisons;
• Stigma and discrimination.

Staff education and support is essential to create optimal conditions to ensure a safe and healthy environment for prisoners, staff, and visitors, and to enable to provision of HIV/AIDS related interventions in a comprehensive manner.  Therefore a supervision session for NGO Convictus staff was organized during the project time.

UNODC budget