In the framework of the project “Promotion of the Right to Health in Prisons of EECA Countries”, the community of people with living experiences in prisons was established in Uzbekistan in 2024, bringing together 10 members.
A focus group was conducted within the community to identify key needs in enhancing knowledge in areas such as NGO strategy development, crowdfunding, volunteer engagement, sustainable development, and best practices. Based on these findings, an advocacy development plan for 2025 was created.
To strengthen its advocacy efforts, community members analyzed legislative acts regulating detention conditions and the provision of healthcare services in prisons, as well as the work of the Ombudsman. As a result of this analysis, recommendations were developed to include representatives with lived experience of prisons in training and monitoring processes.
Additionally, community members developed proposals for pre-release preparation and post-release social support. Active communication is currently underway with the Main Directorate for the Execution of Sentences and the Probation Center regarding the implementation of these proposals.