On September 18, 2026, a closing event was held for the project "Sustainable Funding of Rehabilitation Services in the Penitentiary and Probation Sectors and Strengthening of Service Delegation Mechanisms," implemented within the framework of the "Budgets for Citizens" program. The event aimed to jointly discuss the project's final results, agree on next steps with representatives of state bodies, and bring together the views of a wide range of civil society organizations.

The event was opened by Suzanna Soghomonyan, representative of the Armenian Lawyers' Association, and Artak Kirakosyan, Director of the Civil Society Institute NGO.

A representative of the RA Ministry of Justice presented the justice sector measures envisaged in the Government's five-year program, which include a proposal to outsource certain services to the civil society sector. Representatives of the Penitentiary and Probation Services then outlined the priority areas of their sectors, where cooperation with civil society organizations is essential, including in jointly addressing sector-specific challenges.

Gayane Hovakimyan, President of the Social Justice NGO, presented the package of proposals developed under the project. The priority services identified include mental health support services and behavioral programs for persons deprived of liberty, pre-release and post-release support services, and social skills development services.

Representatives of other civil society organizations also shared their proposals and approaches to addressing existing challenges, emphasizing that the professional expertise of civil society contributes to solving these issues.

At the close of the event, participants reaffirmed their readiness to support both the piloting of new initiatives and the adaptation of the project for various target groups in Yerevan and the regions.

This event was held within the framework of the sub-grant project "Sustainable Funding of Rehabilitation Services in the Penitentiary and Probation Sectors and Strengthening of Service Delegation Mechanisms," implemented by the Civil Society Institute NGO. The sub-grant was provided under the "Budgets for Citizens" program, funded by the European Union and implemented in cooperation with the Armenian Lawyers' Association NGO, the Economic Development and Research Center NGO, and Agora Central Europe NGO (Czech Republic). Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Civil Society Institute NGO and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.