Montenegro meets conditions for home detention with help of US donation

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Zoran Pažin hosted today Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy to Montenegro Judy Kuo on the occasion of the donation of home detention central monitoring system.

Thanks to the donation of the US Embassy, worth about 250,000 dollars, along with EUR 230,000 from Montenegro's budget, the conditions for implementing this alternative way of serving sentence by confinement to the premises where they live are met.

The donation we receive today will help to significantly improve and modernise the system of enforcement of criminal sanctions, especially in terms of more effective prevention of returnees and easier reintegration of offenders sentenced to short-term sentences, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

He stressed that, under the provisions of the Criminal Code, home detention can only be imposed on perpetrators of a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment up to six months, if the court determines that the purpose of the punishment will thus be achieved.

Deputy Chief of Mission Kuo expressed satisfaction with the support of the Embassy to the home detention enforcement system and announced the continued support of the United States to further strengthen administrative and institutional capacity in the area of rule of law.

Home detention is envisaged as a possible alternative to short jail sentences and represents a measure aimed at preventing returnees in the commission of criminal offenses and facilitating reintegration into a society of offenders sentenced to such prison sentence. Home detention is pronounced by the court, while the Ministry of Justice is in charge of its execution.