The number of employees in the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions is not sufficient to successfully implement all the tasks under the jurisdiction of the execution of criminal sanctions, but neither are the others that are planned, it is written in the Report on the work of that Administration for the past year, in which it is explained that they met the end of last year has 442 employees, although there are a third more systematized jobs, i.e. 661.
"During the year, the number of executors varied, the employment relationship ended for 48 executors, of which 44 executors in accordance with the legal provision for termination of employment in order to exercise the right to a pension, so that at the end of the reporting year the number of executors amounted to 442. This number of executors is not sufficient in order to implement the tasks of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions from the jurisdiction of the execution of criminal sanctions, and the planned PPCG EU, the Action Plan for Negotiating Chapter 23 Justice and Fundamental Rights, the Strategy for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (2023-2026), the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and of inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT), recommendations of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms and the NPM, as well as other tasks that are assigned to its competence", it is written in the Report on the work of that Administration for the year 2023.
In that document, it is written that, due to the improvement of the conditions of stay of prisoners, adaptation of the accommodation capacities was carried out, including the construction of a new facility for health care in the Podgorica Remand Prison, which increased the accommodation capacities by 70 places. Also, a new system of telephone booths was introduced for the communication of prisoners with their families.
With the support of the EU-IPA project, the construction of four new facilities in the UIKS complex was started, including a special health facility, a multifunctional facility, an open-type prison and a new registration office.
Debt for the prison in Mojkovac
The prison construction project for the northern region of Montenegro in Mojkovac was financed with grants of 1,2 million euros, and in the Report they announce that the state will borrow up to 15.000.000 euros to complete the project.
"Articles 11 and 14 of the Law on the Budget of Montenegro for 2023 ("Official Gazette of Montenegro", no. 152/22 and 106/23) prescribe that the State of Montenegro shall borrow from the Development Bank of the Council of Europe (CEB), for the needs of the Ministry of Justice for the construction of a capital facility - Prison in Mojkovac, in the amount of up to EUR 15.000.000,00. The revision of the main project for the construction of a prison for the northern region of Montenegro in the municipality of Mojkovac is in progress, as well as activities on the development, revision and implementation of other related projects (substation, hydrotechnical infrastructure - water supply infrastructure, access road, etc.)," the document says.
The UIKS points out that last year special attention was paid to the training of prison staff, which is crucial for the further reform of the prison system and reaching national and international standards.
"In order to fulfill the recommendations given by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, the Sector for Professional Training and Development of Officials in 2023 implemented a series of trainings in order to fulfill the previously of the above-mentioned tasks, which was contributed to by significant progress in raising the competencies of the prison staff", the report says.
They also state that in order to improve the health care of prisoners, they acquired basic and advanced medical equipment, employed a general practitioner and hired three medical technicians, and that specialists from various fields of medicine were hired as consultants.
In that document, they point out that they acquired new equipment for security officers, including uniforms, security equipment, video surveillance and vehicles for special purposes, but that they paid special attention to the resocialization and rehabilitation of prisoners.
Prisoners worked
They add that at the beginning of last year, they concluded several contracts that enabled the improvement of the capacity for work-occupational therapy for prisoners and training for certain jobs - making jewelry, souvenirs, park furniture...
"According to this, the number of prisoners engaged in labor varied, so in the first half of the year eight prisoners were employed, of which four convicts from 'F Pavilion' and four convicts from the Women's Department, and in the second half of the year there were two to four convicts from the Women's Department", it is written in the part in which there is a report on cooperation with the company for which the prisoners made jewelry and souvenirs...
It was explained that 12 prisoners participated in the creation of park furniture for the Municipality of Danilovgrad, thereby developing a sense of responsibility and initiative for reintegration into society.
They boasted that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with the German non-governmental organization "Help-Hilfe zür Selbsthilfe", and that the goal of this cooperation was to expand work activities for prisoners and their successful rehabilitation and reintegration through occupational therapy.
Thanks to them, UIKS received a donation for a carpentry and locksmith workshop, including small tools, a sheet metal bending machine and a woodworking machine for making wood carvings, and training was organized for 12 prisoners who obtained the titles of assistant welder and assistant carpenter, and after successfully they received certificates after passing the exam.
Bonus video:
