Solutions to prison overcrowding in Romania: Electronic monitoring, more places in prisons

Romania may implement several measures aimed at reducing prison overcrowding in the country, including an electronic monitoring system and the construction of more accommodation places for inmates, according to the 2018-2024 calendar of measures to resolve prison overcrowding and prison conditions approved by the government. Another measure targets the introduction of financial compensations for detainees who served prison sentences in inappropriate conditions, local News.ro reported. The document approved by the government shows that the Ministry of Justice considers introducing the electronic monitoring measure in the criminal law, which would apply only to certain inmates based on a court ruling. “The detainees can be monitored electronically; the systems can be used in the case of detainees who: participate in lucrative, educational, psychological, social assistance activities outside the place of detention; go out to provide medical assistance to hospitals / medical offices located outside the place of detention; are granted permission to leave the prison, etc.,” reads the document. Moreover, electronic monitoring may also be an alternative to serving sentences in prisons. The deadline for this possible measure is the second half of 2018. Also, the authorities may build more than 8,000 new accommodation places for detainees, and upgrade another 1,300. The authorities indicate three sources of funding for these investments, namely the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, the state budget and a loan, according to News.ro. Another measure targets the introduction into the law of financial compensations for inmates who served prison sentences in inappropriate conditions. This measure should be applied in the first half of the year. A new law that provides a 6-day sentence reduction for each 30 days a detainee spends in improper conditions came into force in Romania last fall. Over 1,200 inmates benefited from the new law in the first month, according to data from the Federation of Trade Unions in the National Administration of Penitentiaries (ANP). ECHR: Detention conditions in Romanian prisons are in breach of European Convention of Human Rights Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com