Seminars

Prison staff should be trained on protecting the rights and meeting the needs of LGBTIQ detainees, including the differences between sexual orientation and sexual identity and the specific sub-groups included in the LGBTIQ acronym.

The aim of the Prison Safe Seminars is to raise awareness – in the Cypriot, Portuguese and Greek prison systems – on issues of gender identity and sexual orientation and dismantle prejudices and assumptions about LGBTIQ persons and detainees.

A total of twelve (12) seminars will take place with the expected total participation of two hundred forty (240) prison staff such as prison leaders, mid-level administrators, front-line staff, security staff, and others who interact with prisoners on a daily basis – such as medical, mental health and programming/treatment staff. The duration of each seminar will be six (6) hours.

The participants will be trained on:

• the absolute prohibition of torture or other ill-treatment of LGBTIQ detainees;
• the considerate conduct of operational procedures (classification, placement, searchers);
• the appropriate measures to protect LGBTIQ detainees from victimisations (e.g. from violence and abuse by other detainees).