Minister: Prisons to Get 11 Mill. Kuna

Justice Minister Ana Lovrin announced a solution to the problem of overflowing prisons after media reports on alarming situation in prisons.

Budgetary funds for expanding the penitentiary in Glina, for the reconstruction of the prison hospital in Zagreb and extensions of prisons in Varazdin, Sibenik and Split will increase tenfold. 

After a letter by Ivan Damjanovic, director of the Prison System Administration, was published, in which he urged colleagues not to send to prison persons sentenced to six months because there was no room for them, the issue of overcrowded prisons in Croatia has been actualised.

-- It was not my intention that a convict evades the serving of the sentence, but that an agreement among institutions be reached – Damjanovic said.

On the other hand, he described the situation in Croatian prisons as positive, since there were no cases of riots, attacks on guards or suicides.

The Association of Croatian Judges renounced Damjanovic’s letter, dubbing it an invitation to the violation of laws.