My visit to the Prisons today is practical proof that the issues of Prisons and prisoners' rights will be at the centre of my attention, actions and priorities as Minister of Justice and Public Order.
I have been informed in recent days about the changes that have taken place in prisons in recent years, as well as about the individual problems and challenges they face.
A critical and decisive factor in carrying out the work of prisons is the consistency and professional commitment of all those involved in the prison process: the prison administration, prison staff and prisoners. Thanks to you and your efforts, our prisons are and will remain a place of safety, security and constant concern for human rights.
It is a fact that the most important problem facing prisons is that of overcrowding. A problem that hampers the correctional process and creates operational day-to-day problems in prisons. Since my first days in office, we have been considering specific measures to decongest the prisons.
We have recently been working on a specific plan to manage and redesign the prisons in a way that will alleviate the problem of overcrowding. I believe that in the near future we will be able to submit a concrete management plan to the President of the Republic, which will include short, medium and long-term solutions, taking into account the existing logistical infrastructure and the challenges of our prison system.
We expect, however, that the article-by-article discussion in the relevant parliamentary committee of the new legislation and the new regulatory framework for prisons, which significantly upgrades the protection of prisoners, will soon be completed. The many actions in the areas of strengthening the knowledge, competences and skills of prisoners in a complex penitentiary environment, in order to enhance their social reintegration, is fully in line with our strategic objectives as regards the functioning and aspirations of our penitentiary system.
At this point, I would like to recall that multiple reformative actions and interventions are underway in prisons aimed at the entire prison population. We support the Prison Administration and the prison staff in carrying out their work. We support released prisoners in their social reintegration through actions such as the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Justice and Public Order and the Federation of Employers and Industrialists to provide incentives for the employment of released prisoners. Suffice it to say that the interest of companies in employing released prisoners has exceeded all expectations, since by last month there were 62 placements of released prisoners in as many companies on a nationwide basis.
I would also like to assure you today that the change in the orientation of the institution of imprisonment in recent years to a means of correction, rehabilitation and re-socialization of prisoners will continue and will be intensified even more.
The multiple rehabilitative actions and human-centered programs of prisons build and maintain bridges of communication with the outside world. They relieve, alleviate the difficulties of confinement and isolation, making prison time less painful and more productive. They lead to overcoming stereotypical perceptions of imprisonment and prisoners. Most importantly: they support and shield prisoners, giving them a second chance in life and in society, which they deserve and are entitled to, and which we as a state are obliged to offer them.
Dear colleagues,
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you personally for your enormous contribution to the radical reform of the climate and practices of serving sentences, since you have consistently, seriousness and dedication, you contribute every day to the creation of a prison environment of security and concern for human rights, giving the message in multiple ways that imprisonment can also be an opportunity for learning, improvement and the cultivation of responsibility, with a view to the most productive possible social reintegration.
For our part as a Government, we assure you that we will continue to support these efforts and make every possible effort to upgrade our prison system.
Thank you.
(MB/EXP)
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