In 2024, as part of the project “Sustainability of Services for Key Populations in EECA region“, a draft law was developed in Ukraine to abolish the regulation imposing an additional 25% tax on the wages of incarcerated people.
To advocate for this change, official appeals were submitted to key government bodies, including the Cabinet of Ministers, the Office of the Business Ombudsman, and the Ministry of Finance.
An algorithm outlining effective methods for engaging people in prisonsin in service provision and an informational brief justifying the need for these changes were developed. A comprehensive legislative proposal detailing the necessary amendments to existing laws was also drafted.
Thanks to these advocacy efforts, the proposed law passed its first reading in the Ukrainian Parliament and is now prepared for the second reading. This marks a significant step towards thoroughly ensuring the labor rights of people in prisons and creating opportunities for their participation in prison-based peer-to-peer services.