Government to invest EUR 1.1 million in solving housing issues of employees in criminal enforcement system

Podgorica, Montenegro (7 October 2019) -- The Government has provided € 1.1 million to resolving housing issues of employees of the Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions over the next five-year period, of which € 300,000 has been provided in 2019, and EUR 200,000 for each year in the next four-year period, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Justice Zoran Pažin said when signing an agreement on support for resolving housing issues of the Directorate's employees.

"The decision of the Government to allocate significant financial resources to address the housing issues of the employees of the Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions is the best confirmation that the Montenegrin society appreciates and values ​​the responsible work of the employees in the criminal enforcement system," Deputy Prime Minister Pažin stated.

DPM Pažin pointed out that the most urgent priority for the Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions is to recognise and remove from service those employees who, through their actions, allow or tolerate violations of the law in the prison system. Such malpractice employees, the Deputy Prime Minister said, must be severely punished and should not have a place in the system of criminal sanctions in order to protect the reputation of this institution and the vast majority of employees who conscientiously and responsibly perform difficult and risky tasks.

He noted that the procedures for equalising the salaries of all employees who actively participate in the process of re-socialisation and reintegration of prisoners are underway, bearing in mind the weight and responsibility of the jobs entrusted. "We have a special obligation to improve living and working conditions for those employees whose work is most directly dependent on full respect for human rights and safeguarding the system of criminal sanctions," the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.

Deputy Prime Minister Pažin described the reports of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms and the competent committee of the Parliament of Montenegro, stating the improvement of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, as encouraging. He announced that the construction of a new prison in Mojkovac, as the most significant infrastructure project that will greatly modernise and relieve the existing prison system, is expected to start next year. Significant EU support of EUR 1.2 million has been provided for the preparation of the technical documentation for the construction of the new prison. He also recalled other important infrastructure projects, namely the construction of the Special Healthcare Facility, an open-type prison and a multifunctional facility, the construction of which will be funded by the European Union.

The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Government of Germany and the international NGO HELP ‚as well as the US Embassy, for their considerable support in improving the technical equipment of the facility and the working treatment of prisoners. He also expressed satisfaction with the quality of cooperation with the Montenegrin NGOs Civic Alliance, Juventas, Nit, Identitet, Art of Living, CEDEM and Centre for Civic Education, which projects, with the financial support of the Ministry of Justice, contributed to improving respect for human rights and security in the criminal enforcement system.

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER FOR POLITICAL SYSTEM, INTERIOR AND FOREIGN POLICY