US Participants:- Elena Dragalin, Founder and Chairperson, Moldova AID- Jeffrey Noble, LOCI, Deputy Warden- Jeff Hunsaker, Executive Director, Horizon Community

Engagement Corporation.

Intercultural exchange between Judicial Systemsof United States and Republic of Moldova,

focusing on the Prison Systemand the Probation Office

Chisinau, Republic of MoldovaAugust 26 – September 9, 2012

Ion Unciuc and Alexei LazariLFP Fellows

Legislative Fellows Program (LFP) Outbound ProjectReport

Supported by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, with funds provided bythe Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State

Table of ContentsIntroduction ......................................................................... 3

Preparation............................................................................ 3

Meetings and Experience Sharing ....................................... 4

Project-Main Results.......................................................... 4

Introduction

The Outbound Project main idea was to make an Intercultural exchangebetween Judicial Systems in the US and R of Moldova, focusing on the PrisonSystem and the Probation Office. That’e means minimum several stepts:- Familiarize our guests from USA (Elena Dragalin, Jeffrey Noble and Jeff

Hunsaker) with Moldavian justice system (Probation, Prison System,Judicial System, Attorney, High Education in the field of Justice).

- Make connection between Moldavian Justice System and Ohio &North Carolina Justice System.

- Familiarize guests with our political, social and cultural life, toshare our culture, history and tradition.

- To make in the end some follow up activity for future collaborationbetween the Moldavian justice System and Ohio & North Carolina.

From the beginning we create this project as a viable continuity of theLegal Fellows Program, to share the gained experience together withAmerican professionals in the Moldavian justice sector. Also, theexperience that our guests gained during the project could be usefulfor their professional activity within American justice system, like analternative to the methods and practices that they use, and finally, tomake possible a future cooperation between our justice system and theAmerican one from Ohio and North Carolina.

Preparation

The project’s main part of implementation was planned for 14 daysduring August 26 - September 9, 2012, but actually it started to beimplemented from the beginning of July 2012, in order to prepare thetarget groups and the stakeholders in the field to raise the awarenessabout the project’s issues: thus, we sent officials letters to allAssociations, University’s, State Departments and Ministry that weplan to visit during the Outbound Project. In the beginning of AugustRelevant Basic Legislative Background and general Information (aboutthe country, political, social and cultural life, weather in that period,currency etc.) was sent to the US participants.

Meetings and Experience Sharing with Interested Parties

The US participants arrived on August 26, in the evening but the firstday for implementation of the project started on August 28, becauseon August 27, we celebrate Independence Day. During that day ourguests had the opportunity tofamiliarize with our traditionsand culture, history and lifestyle. Also we made a city tour,and showed our most importantbuildings and architecturalplaces from the city.

On August 28, we had ameeting with the Director of thePenitentiary System fromRepublic of Moldova, Mr.Veaceslav Ceban. During the (Meeting with Mr. Cheban Veaceslav)

discussion the Moldavian officials made a presentation of Moldavianpenitentiary System, spoke about the system’s history and the reformsthat were done from the beginning of independence of our country. Atthe end of the discussion, the Director invited the guests to meet himat the end of the Outbound Project to discuss what they foundinteresting and to share the impression about our prison system, whatis positive for them, what practice they found innovative for Americansystem.

On August 29, Americanguests visited two prisons(pretrial Prison from Chisinau andPrison for women, located inRusca Village). During that daythe American Professionals in thefield of Justice had theopportunity to see a prison fromsoviet time (Pretrial Prison), anda new one (prison for women). Inthat day they familiarized with (Jeffrey noble with psychological unit stuff)

the Moldavian prisons from inside, they saw the structure of theprison, buildings, types of regime, methodology that the prison stuffuse to work with inmates. Also they have the possibility to meet thewardens of the prisons and to discuss the similarity and differencesbetween systems, what kind of problems the Moldavian wardens dailyhave to face with, what are the main problems and what the chief ofthe prison intends to improve in the near future. In women’s Prison,the guests were familiarized with different methodologies that prisonstuff uses for women inmates, which one differs from a male prison.

On August 30, we visited Maximum Security Prison and Prisonfor youth inmates (16-21 years old) that are situated in the north part ofthe country. That visit was important for the guests because they hadthe opportunity to familiarize with the working principle in those twotypes of prison (youth prison and maximum security prison where aresentenced inmates for life terms and the most dangerous inmates fromthe country). The meetings with the wardens were interesting andhelpful for both parts. They discussed about the similarity anddifferences between the same types of prison in two countries, aboutthe civil society attitude towards preventing and reconciliation processfor inmates, and gave advices on different topics. Also the Americanguests had the opportunity to speak with the inmates and to see andunderstand what they are doing daily. In the end, the inmates gavehandmade gifts to guests.

(Maximum Security Prison stuff)

On September 3, we organized a theoretical and practicalseminar for Central Department of Prison Institution’s stuff, JeffreyNoble and Jeff Hunsaker made a presentation about Ohio PrisonSystem, they spoke about the structure, methodology and workingprinciples in an American Prison System in general and Ohio PrisonSystem particularly. During the training, the both parts put questionsabout different working situations that they meet from time to time andhow to interact with them.

In the same day, we visitedthe American Resource Center(ARC) where we met with thepeople from the USA Embassy inMoldova and from the ARC.Here we discussed about theprograms, grants and projectsthat USA sponsored in Moldova,about the foreign policy of USAon Moldova’s issue. With therepresentatives from the Center,the American guests werefamiliarized about its activity’sin Moldova, programs andprojects they support here.

(Visiting American Resource Center)

On September 4, we had a meeting with the Chief and stuff ofCentral Probation Officefrom Republic of Moldova.During the meeting, theboth parts made apresentation on ProbationService from their country,describing the structure, theprinciple and methodologhyof working with peoplethat are in probation. Alsoanother interesting topic (Visiting the Central Probation Office)

was the electronical supervising of the people in USA, because in Moldovathis is a new technology that needs to be implemented in the near future. Theoficials from the Probation Office from Moldova enjoyed the meeting,because it was really important for them, to see the american type ofProbation. In the end of the visit the both parts understood that should be acontinuity of the Outbound Project, thus some Moldavian Probation Office’sstuff can go to USA to study and take the Amercan experience on criminaljustice.

On September 5, we had planned to visit the American Councils inR. of Moldova. We have had a wonderful meeting with David Jesse, CountryDirector, Dr. Daniela Munca-Aftenev, Executive Director and othermembers from theorganisation. During the visit,David Jassee and DanielaMunca, told us about theAmerican Council’s structure,programs that they managedand projects they are workingon. Also, we made a tour ofthe building and thecoordinator of the prgrammade us presentation aboutthe program he is responsiblefor. (Visiting the American Councils from Moldova)

In the same day, we had an appointment with the Ministry of Justice ofRepublic of Moldova, OlegEfrim, meeting that wasorganized with the help ofSabina Cerbu (LFPparticipant Autumn 2012).The Moldavian officials,made a presentation of thejustice system in general andspoke about the present andfuture reforms that he intends (Meeting with the O.Efrim, ministry of justice RM)

to make in next years. Then the Amerian guests shared the impresions andexperience they gained during the visit in Moldova. In the end both parts realizedthat LFP program is something really important for Moldavian young legislativeprofessionals and a continuity of that program will give to the system a greatopportunity for next chalanges and reforms.

On September 6, Elena Dragalin, organized a seminar for thestudents from the Moldova State University, Faculty of Law. On theseminar, Jeff Hunsaker and Jeffrey Noble made a presentation aboutAmerican Justice System and spoke about the role of civil society in amodern and democratic country like USA. The students were veryfocused on the presentation and in the end they put lots of questions tothe American professionals.

(Jeff’s speaking to students, Moldova State University)

On September 7, we had a final meeting with the Director of theDepartment of Penitentiary Institutions from Republic of Moldova,Veaceslav Ceban. It was a resume meeting where the both partsdiscussed about the impressions and experiences that they gainedduring the Outbound Project. Also they discussed about the necessityof continuing the work in the field of cooperation between our twocountries in the justice system area, especially now, when Moldovaneeds a reform in that sector. In the end, the America guests invitedour Director to visit Ohio justice system (visit that is planed for themay 2012).In the second part of the day, we organized a meeting for Americanexperts with the civil society in order to familiarize them with

Moldavian NGO’s that are working in the field of criminal justice.Thus, we visited “New Life” NGO, a faith based organization that hasthe aim to help people that were jailed and the people that are inprobation period. During the meeting, the organization made apresentation about the project they are working in, and project thatthey succeeded in past years. After that, Jeff Hunsaker made apresentation about his organization and the role of civil society in USAand the NGO’s cooperationwith public administration.It was an interestingdiscussion between bothparts, they shared theirexperience in the same area,so everybody could learnfrom other part. In the endof the meeting, theyunderstood that it’s possibleto make a common projectin Moldova in the next future (Meeting with New Life NGO)

on criminal justice.

On September 8, we visited the National Oncological Hospital forChildren. The American guests organized a special event for the children bygiving them gifts andpresents. Thechildren were sohappy to meet theAmerican guests.They took a tour ofthe Hospital andspoke with theadministration of theHospital. The eventwas organized byElena Dragalin andMoldova Aid Organisation. (Visiting the Oncological Hospital for Children)

Project-Main Results

1. We familiarized US visitors with judicial system of the Republic ofMoldova and identified opportunities for cooperation and exchangeprograms between our two countries correctional systems (established abridge of cooperation between North Carolina and Ohio Department ofJustice and Department of Penitentiary Institutions of RM).

2. Promoted the best practices of the US and initiated MoldavianCorrectional System’s stuff into the US judicial system

3. Organized seminars for Department of Correction and Probationemployees and for the students from State University, on the topic ofcriminal justice and role of civil society in USA.

4. Organized a tour to several prisons from Moldova for a betterunderstanding of Judicial System for American guests.

5. Shared the role of NGO’s activity in relations with correctional system inUSA and saw the differences of the same approach in Republic ofMoldova. We pointed out how NGO’s can help correctional institutions toimplement social programs inside prisons and the role of NGO’s inpenitentiary institutions.

6. Familiarized US guests with Moldavian national culture and traditions.

Sharing Cultural Life, History and Traditions

During the Outbound Project, our American guests had theopportunity to see, learn and enjoy our culture, traditions, nature andlife style. Thus we organized for them different excursions and toursthrough Museums, Memorials, Monasteries, Ancient Historical Places,Country Music Concerts and Moldavian Traditional Restaurants andWinery.

Below you will see the pictures from different events that weplanned during our weekends and free time.