Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu said on Thursday that the future prison in Berceni, Prahova county, is a strategic investment for the Romanian penitentiary system.

„The Ministry of Justice grants all the necessary support. I was at the site today [Thursday – editor’s note] to see how this project is progressing. Works on the site started in March 2024 and the physical stage of execution at the beginning of August was 7 percent. By the end of the year the physical stage of completion is scheduled to reach 20 percent. The planned execution period is 60 months,” Gorghiu wrote on her Facebook page.

She added that the penitentiary will have 1,000 places of detention at the standard of 4 square meters.

„There will be 11 internal detention pavilions, including nine pavilions for inmates with closed regime (100 places each) and two pavilions for inmates with maximum security regime (50 places each). (…) Currently, steps are being taken to connect the water, sewage and electricity networks,” the minister of Justice said.

According to Alina Gorghiu, 2024 is „the year of restarting investments” in the penitentiary system, with the start of work on this new 1,000-place penitentiary and the one in Unguriu, Buzau county, which was started this year and will have 900 places with open and semi-open regimes.

„It’s been 24 years since Romania has not started any investment in a new penitentiary system unit. The last time was in 2000, when work began on the Buzias Educational Center,” the minister said.

AGERPRES