DUSHANBE, August 14, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Two study tours for Penitentiary committee officers and civil society representatives from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were organized in August by the EU-UNDP Central Asia Drug Action Program (CADAP), according to press release by the European Commission.

The participants visited the pilot prisons in Kyrgyzstan equipped by the "Atlantis" program on treatment and rehabilitation of drug addiction in prisons.

Twelve high ranking officials and non-governmental partners met with their colleagues from Kyrgyzstan to discuss the benefits of the “Atlantis” program with a view to its further introduction in prisons of their own countries.  The program also included participation in therapy classes for prison addicts and sharing first-hand experience with the practitioners from rehabilitation centers.

The “Atlantis” approach is a 12-step therapy program helping to treat and rehabilitate drug-dependent prison inmates.  Three prison rehabilitation centers of Kyrgyzstan have previously received support of the CADAP Program and successfully implement the "Atlantis" approach in their practice.

As a next step, similar national training sessions on effectiveness of the "Atlantis" program will be organized for Uzbek and Turkmen prison authorities in August and September this year.

The overall objective of the EU-UNDP CADAP Program is to foster public health approach to drug demand and addiction, with an interdiction approach to drug supply in line with European Commission drug strategies.  CADAP is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP.