Starting today, receiving the services of the Public Service Hall will be available for convicts at the place of serving the sentence. The project is a Georgian innovation and has no analogues in any country in the world. The first branch of the Public Service Hall was opened today by the Minister of Justice in the 16th penitentiary institution.

More than 50 services of the Public Service Hall are available to those in the penitentiary institution, including obtaining ID documents, birth registration, giving consent for issues related to minor children, issues related to citizenship, determining the status of a single parent, registering divorce, obtaining a certificate, getting registered as an entrepreneur and other. Convicted persons will be able to receive the service by prior reservation.

The branches will also serve the employees of the penitentiary service.

Until now, the persons in custody could receive the service either on the basis of a power of attorney issued to a third party, or by written communication with the Public Service Hall. In both cases, the service required a long time and insufficiently flexible procedures. After the opening of the branches of the Public Service Hall in the penitentiary system, services for convicts will be just as comfortable as for any visitor of the Public Service Hall, and the space intended for the service center is in full compliance with the interior of the Public Service Hall.

The opening of the branch of the Public Service Hall in the 16th penitentiary institution was attended by Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, Head of the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament, Mikhel Sarjveladze, the heads of the Public Service Halls, as well as the heads of the special penitentiary service, and invited guests.

Today, the branch of the Public Service Hall was also launched in the 5th (women"s) institution of Rustavi and other branches will gradually open in other institutions as well. The project is implemented within the framework of the bilateral cooperation memorandum signed between the Public Service Hall and the Special Penitentiary Service.