Croatia lacks a thousand places for prisoners, plan to build five prisons

(Patria) - 45 percent of persons deprived of liberty are in investigative detention, a worrying statistic that has prompted the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation of Croatia to plan an increase in prison system capacity and its modernisation.

The construction of five new prisons is planned, as discussed in the show "Studio 4" on HRT by the Director of the Prison System and Probation Administration, Zvonimir Penić.

He stated that the execution of sentences is of special interest for Croatia.

- Croatia has 14 prisons, six penitentiaries, a prison hospital and two correctional facilities. All these penal institutions can have semi-open and open-type departments within their structure - explained Penić.

He adds that the prison in Gospić is specific, having two departments - semi-open and open, so it somewhat resembles a penitentiary, as he says.

Closed conditions of serving a sentence imply a higher degree of physical and technical security, while in semi-open and open conditions there is greater freedom of movement for persons deprived of liberty, and there are offenders who have served most of their sentence or those who have committed less serious criminal offences.

- We also have two correctional facilities where educational measures are carried out for female wards in Požega and for male wards, minors in Turopolje. The educational measure can last a minimum of six months and a maximum of three years, and it is reviewed by the court - adds Penić.

He emphasises that all women serve their sentences in the penitentiary in Požega, which also houses a maternity ward.

- Children can stay with their mother there for three years, exceptionally for another six months, if the mother's sentence expires or she is granted parole during that period - he states.

But, as he says, the Social Welfare Centre gets involved, which does not mean that every mother will keep her child.

Penic emphasises that, except for the prison facilities in Zagreb and Split, all other prison and penitentiary buildings were built at the beginning of the 20th century.

- These are cultural monuments where major architectural interventions are difficult. These spaces are crying out for investment - notes Penić.

The purpose of being in prison is dual. On one hand, the prisoner must be prepared for life in accordance with social norms, and at the same time, society must be protected from the most serious perpetrators of criminal offences - who will ultimately all be released.

Penic states that the plan is to build three large penitentiaries, each capable of accommodating around 400 persons deprived of liberty.

- Support from the local community is important, because without it, prisons cannot be built. Resource exchange is important, as is the realisation that working in a prison is not something terrible.

A tripartite agreement was recently signed between the municipality of Perušić, the Lika-Senj County and the ministry. The terrain there is the most prepared.

By the end of the month, grant funds from the Council of Europe Development Bank should be signed, which will be used for the preparation of the project task, an architectural plan that would also serve for two investments in Osijek-Baranja and Sisak-Moslavina counties - said Penić.

He pointed out that the number of inter-prisoner violence and attacks on staff is not increasing in prisons, and added that investment has been made in security to prevent attacks on staff.

Penic also said that the prison system does not take care of migrants, but rather that migrant smugglers end up in it.

He adds that, in addition to what is enabled by the Criminal Code, community service and suspended sentences, electronic monitoring has recently been introduced, which is used when a prisoner is on parole and for house arrest during investigative detention.

Penic concluded that Croatia lacks about 1,000 places for prisoners, as the current capacity is about 4,000, while there are about 5,000 prisoners.