JusMin Toader: Inmate population decreases in Romania to 22,884, and 12,795 prison staff

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader announced at a news conference on Monday that the inmate population in Romania is on a downward trend, with the number of outgoing detainees exceeding the number of incoming inmates.

He added that the size of the inmate population in Romania is 22,884, while 12,795 civil servants are working in the penitentiary system as special status prison staff.

"As we speak, there are 22,884 inmates in the penitentiary (...) and, when we mention the penitentiary system, the National Administration of Penitentiaries, we are talking about 12,795 civil servants with special status (...) The inmate population in Romania is on a downward trend, with the number of outgoing detainees exceeding the number of incoming inmates," Toader said.

He pointed out however, that we should not expect issues in the penitentiaries to resolve naturally by reducing the number of people put behind bars.

"That is why we have taken and continue to take measures. In the category of infrastructure measures, you know that we have two prisons included in feasibility studies, the Berceni Penitentiary in Prahova County and the Unguriu Penitentiary in Buzau County. Each penitentiary will have with one thousand places, booth will be built up from scratch, and each of the two penitentiaries will be up to modern European standards," said Toader.

He also announced that a school for initial and continuous training of prison staff will be set up in Bucharest. AGERPRES (RO - author: George Onea, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)