As part of the recently concluded study visit to Spain, a delegation of Uzbekistan’s state institutions held an official introductory meeting in Madrid with the Spanish Penitentiary Service (Secretaría General de Instituciones Penitenciarias – SGIIPP). 

The study visit was jointly organised by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the Centre for Development and Justice International (CDJI), and the National Human Rights Centre of Uzbekistan(NHRC).

The delegation was officially welcomed by:
- the Secretary General of Penitentiary Institutions (SGIIPP), and
- the Director General responsible for prison execution and social reintegration,
- together with their senior technical team.

During the meeting, Spanish counterparts presented a comprehensive overview of the Spanish penitentiary system, highlighting recent reforms, structural challenges, and key policy developments. Particular attention was given to Spain’s long-term reform approach, which has resulted in a significant reduction of the prison population and a strategic reallocation of resources towards alternative, non-custodial measures.

Current figures discussed:
- approximately 50,000 prisoners and remand detainees nationwide;
- around 90,000 individuals under probation supervision.

Participants from Uzbekistan examined in detail the risk and needs assessment system applied in Spain and its role in evidence-based prison management, individual sentence planning, and rehabilitation-oriented decision-making.
This opening meeting set an important professional and conceptual framework for the study visit, enabling a substantive exchange on human rights-based detention, alternatives to imprisonment, and effective reintegration practice.