How can correctional institutions ensure institutional safety without compromising human dignity? This presentation explores the innovative security standardization efforts undertaken by Türkiye’s General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses to answer that very question.
Rooted in a rights-based philosophy, the newly developed "Security Standards Directive" introduces a comprehensive, nationwide framework designed to align prison security practices with international human rights norms. By covering critical areas such as body searches, surveillance, emergency procedures, and visitor control, this approach prioritizes both safety and humane treatment.
Participants will gain insight into how Türkiye is transforming its correctional security systems—not only by introducing technical protocols, but by embedding values such as transparency, accountability, and respect for privacy into daily operations. The presentation will share how institutions are operationalizing these principles through staff training, monitoring systems, and practical safeguards that reduce the risk of arbitrary or disproportionate practices.
This session will be especially relevant to practitioners, policymakers, and human rights advocates seeking to build correctional environments that are both secure and respectful. Türkiye’s model offers a replicable pathway for jurisdictions aiming to uphold safety while meeting international standards of dignity and justice.
Join us to discover how rethinking security—through the lens of human rights—can lead to more resilient and legitimate correctional systems.
Moderated by Kathleen Van de Vijver, Board Member, ICPA, Belgium
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Mehmet Yılmaz
Judge, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Prison and Detention Houses, MoJ, Türkiye
Mehmet Yılmaz was born in 1970 in Ankara. After completing his education at the Faculty of Law, he served respectively as a public prosecutor, a prosecutor at the Ankara Regional Court of Justice, and Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor responsible for the Bureau for the Investigation of Crimes Against the Constitutional Order and Terrorism. Since 2017, he has been serving as the Deputy Director General responsible for Security and Execution at the Directorate General of Prisons and Detention Houses under the Ministry of Justice. Between 2014 and 2018, he also worked as an instructor at the Turkish Justice Academy, delivering lectures and presentations on in-service and pre-service training for judges, prosecutors, and candidates.
