19-04-2024 15:35
Minister Pavlova visited the new prison complex in Samoranovo Before the completion of the construction works, the Justice Minister checked how the finishing works are progressing on the most ambitious project of the Ministry of Justice and the General Directorate for Execution of Punishments (GDEP).
In Samoranowo, work is well underway on the completion of a new pilot prison for 400 inmates, a training centre for 100 GDEP officers, a new transitional ward, a school, workshops, a social centre, an administrative building, etc. GDEP Director Chief Commissioner Ivaylo Yordanov said the contractor for the site has provided nearly 200 workers to work on the ten buildings in parallel and on improving the overall infrastructure of the area.
On 29 April this year GDEP organized a closing conference for the project "Enhancing staff capacity, building a pilot prison linked to a learning centre and improving inmate rehabilitation" funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021. The results of the project will then be reported and the complex will be shown to the Norwegian partners and guests.
At the suggestion of the Norwegian side, the work on the introduction of the new methods of staff training and the new programmes for working with prisoners will continue in the coming months. It is expected that the first inmates will be housed in the new prison when all new procedures, staff training and security tests have been conducted and put in place. The process will be supported and monitored by the Norwegian Correctional Service.