The publication “Reintegration of women after release: Barriers, Success Factors and Measures to Strengthen Probation in the Republic of Kazakhstan (white paper)” was prepared by Aigerim Kussaiynkyzy with the support of the IWPR Representative Office in Central Asia and the regional analytical platform CABAR.asia.
For citation and references to the material, please indicate: Aigerim Kussaiynkyzy, Reintegration of women after release: Barriers, Success Factors and Measures to Strengthen Probation in the Republic of Kazakhstan (white paper) 2026, CABAR.asia.
The publication notes that international guidelines on women’s health in prison and upon release emphasize the increased prevalence of mental health issues among female prisoners and the need for continuous care for this population.
In 2025, Kazakhstan held an amnesty to mark the 30th anniversary of the Constitution. Initially, it was estimated that it would benefit up to 15,000 people, with a combination of release and sentence reduction. By January 2026, it was reported that more than 2,000 people had been released under the amnesty, and more than 11,000 had received sentence reductions. The findings of the white paper are based on a study conducted in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. The study focused on the law enforcement practices of entities involved in the resocialization of women after imprisonment.Based on field research (surveys in penal institutions, expert interviews, and official responses from government agencies), practical, measurable, and feasible measures are proposed to improve the effectiveness of post-penitentiary support and strengthen the social component of probation. Thus, the White Paper focuses on systemic changes: increasing the accessibility of services, eliminating administrative barriers, and strengthening interagency mechanisms that enable probation to perform not only control functions but also social and legal ones.
The study focused on barriers to the integration of previously convicted women (housing, registration, documents, employment, access to services, stigma, and the risk of reoffending) and the legal shortcomings in overcoming them.
The final recommendation is that the proposed package of measures—from a unified support route for the first 90 days to the implementation of an interagency risk matrix and domain-specific KPIs—should be launched as an immediate pilot. This will enable the Republic of Kazakhstan to strengthen its compliance with international obligations, including standards for the treatment of women in the criminal justice system (including the principles enshrined in the UN Bangkok Rules), and to transition to a modern, economically rational, and humane justice system in which public safety is achieved through successful social and legal adaptation of individuals, rather than through repeated and costly isolation.
‘This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of IWPR and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.