The Romanian prison system has made some progress in the past three years, including a drop in the recidivism rate and an increase in confinement capacity, Justice Minister Radu Marinescu said on Wednesday as he attended the presentation of the 2024 activity report of the National Penitentiary Administration.

„The National Penitentiary Administration has reached an all-time high staffing number, at 13,300 personnel. We are aware of the fact that there is still need for additional staff and we will act with all the instruments at our disposal to achieve this goal too. There has been a continuous decrease in the recidivism rate across the units of the National Penitentiary Administration from over 46% in 2008 to a steady under 37% in the last three years,” Marinescu said, stressing also that the confinement capacity has reached a high, and the investment budget is at a peak RON 255 million.

„A record-high 329,924 people in confinement participate in social reintegration activities and programs. 2,292 people – the highest number of prisoners attending school in the last five years, accounting for approximately 10% of the total number of prisoners. 6,319 – the highest number of prisoners assigned to work in the last five years. These positive developments must (…) continue,” the JusMin said.

He cautioned that prison overcrowding remains „a challenge” and welcomed the fact that the ANP has initiated or continued the process of modernizing the infrastructure with 700 new prison places financed through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and the state budget.

Marinescu also noted that a project for over 5,000 new prison places is under execution and that works began in January 2024 for the construction of two new penitentiaries that will add approximately 1,900 new detention places.

„The number of cases pending before the ECHR concerning detention conditions has decreased as a result of the creation of new detention places, as well as of adequate conditions, so that the ECHR standards in the matter are met. I also ask you to insist on increasing the income from own activities in order to have the best possible financing, and to put in sustained efforts to create and develop sources for such incomes,” added Radu Marinescu.

AGERPRES