A specific approach to the way in which the persons in detention should be reeducated and should serve their sentences has been witnessed in Moldova during the last few years, said Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari. In an international conference staged in Chisinau by the Norwegian Mission of Rule of Law Advisers to Moldova (NORLAM), the minister stated the reports show the detention system in Moldova is not efficient and we are not efficient in preparing for the re-socialization of convicts.
Vladimir Cebotari noted the goal of a correctional institution, which should prepare persons in detention to reintegrate into society, should not be forgotten. Those who are in detention should also show that the mistake made earlier was understood and the blame was expiated. The persons in detention are there because they made mistakes, but have the right to a new chance.
NORLAM Mission Head Siri Fjørtoft said Norway invested in the correctional system and started to work with detainees by investing in their education so that each of them could meet the social needs when returning to the community. Understanding and knowledge are needed to improve the situation of the correctional system in Moldova. “When working with women and children in penitentiaries, we must take into account the fact that they are a marginalized group. Women are the symbol of the family, stability and when a mother leaves, she leaves painful wounds in children. The children shouldn’t be in penitentiaries either as they are our future,” stated Siri Fjørtoft.
The international conference “Women and minors in detention: past, present ... and also future?” started with a dance by women detainees of Rusca prison, by which these wanted to show they are able to integrate into society. The event organized by the NORLAM Mission was aimed at sensitizing the public opinion and representatives of the justice sector to the problems faced daily by women and minors in detention and to the impact of detention on their future.
About 9,000 people are now held in jails in Moldova.
