Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

July 31, 2019

Romania: does everyone really have the right to a lawyer?

News

Europe Romania

The justice system in Romania seemed stacked against people who can’t afford a private lawyer, as court appointed counsel are blocked from serving their clients properly.

May 13, 2019

Romania: wiretapping, secret service control and dire prison conditions, scrutiny of Romania justice system as the country hosts the EU Summit

News

Europe Justice Romania

Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, says Romania, which currently holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, must make further efforts to fully reach European standards on the rule of law. Mr Juncker’s comments were directed at the political wrangling in Romania over the…

April 13, 2018

Roumaine : pourquoi le pays veut vider ses prisons

News

Romania

This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.

February 21, 2018

Covert cooking: how to bake a pie in prison

News

Romania

When May Eaton was a writer in residence at a men’s jail, she found the inmates’ real creativity lay in the cakes and curries they made in their cells.

February 1, 2018

Camera intimă

Portfolio

Women Europe Access to legal rights Material conditions Social ties Romania

Conjugal visits are allowed for prisoners and take place in private rooms, located inside the prison compound. Cosmin Bumbut photographed those places, when they were empty.

August 3, 2017

Romania could introduce electronic monitoring to reduce prison overcrowding

News

Overcrowding Romania

Romania’s Justice Ministry considers introducing electronic monitoring for convicts to reduce overcrowding in prisons, said justice minister Tudorel Toader yesterday, quoted by Mediafax.

May 9, 2017

Inmates in Romania, closer to having sentences reduced due to bad detention conditions

News

Justice Overcrowding Romania

The inmates in Romania who are serving time in improper conditions may have their sentences reduced by 20%. The Chamber of Deputies adopted on Tuesday, May 9, the project that provides that, for every 30 days spent in improper conditions, an inmate would have his sentence reduced by six days.

April 26, 2017

Romanian Senate’s committee votes pardon for jail sentences of up to 3 years

News

Justice Romania

The Romanian Senate’s legal committee yesterday approved an amendment to the pardon law that grants full pardon only to prison sentences of up to three years.

April 26, 2017

New prisons to accommodate overcrowded inmates would cost Romania more than EUR 1 billion

News

Facilities Overcrowding Romania

Marius Vulpe, the director of National Penitentiaries Administration (ANP), said Romania would need to build 8 modern prisons to solve the issue of prison overcrowding, News.ro reported. The new facilities could accommodate 8,000 to 8,500 inmates and would cost EUR 140 million each, resulting in to…

April 26, 2017

Romania: Europe rights court blasts Romania prison conditions

News

Europe Justice Material conditions Romania

The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday (25 April) took Romania to task for its dismal prison conditions, saying they could be considered inhumane and degrading.

January 27, 2017

European commission criticises Romania over prisoner pardon plan

News

Europe Overcrowding Romania

Move to free thousands of criminals could hinder fight against corruption and undermine rule of law, officials warn

January 17, 2017

Romania’s justice minister: amnesty shouldn’t be considered, but pardon should

News

Romania

Romania’s justice minister Florin Iordache said on Tuesday that pardon should be considered to solve problem of overcrowded prisons, but a law on amnesty shouldn’t be taken into consideration.

October 21, 2016

Life in romanian prisons before the country joined the EU

News

Romania

Circumstances in Romanian prisons were pretty dire before the country joined the EU. Photographer Cosmin Bumbut documented the change.

September 26, 2016

Romanian prison employees ask for justice minister’s resignation, start series of protests

News

Romania

Prison employees started a series of protests on Monday morning, September 26, as they are unhappy with the work conditions and wage inequities. Moreover, they also want justice minister Raluca Pruna to resign.

September 12, 2016

Romania : thousands of prisoners could get out of jail earlier due to overcrowding

News

Overcrowding Romania

Romanian minister of justice Raluca Pruna wants to simplify the way prisoners can be released on parole, to solve the problem of prison overcrowding. Thus, thousands of prisoners could get out of jail earlier. However, they will still have to meet some criteria, the minister said at local TV statio…

July 22, 2016

Thousands march against prison pardons in Romania

News

Romania

Critics of plan said to be aimed at easing overcrowding claim it would help government allies convicted of corruption

July 13, 2016

Romania : protests at three prisons over poor conditions

News

Material conditions Protest Romania

Detainees in three Romanian prisons have protested against conditions, setting light to clothes and refusing food. The protest began in the high-security prison of Iasi this week where prison authorities said inmates set light to a cell. The protest spread to two other prisons.

May 12, 2016

Romania : UN torture prevention experts urge Romania to tackle prison overcrowding

News

Overcrowding Torture Romania

Romania has made progress in improving conditions of detention in the country but much remains to be done, including reducing overcrowding in prisons and other places where people are deprived of their liberty, UN experts have said.

April 12, 2016

Romania : 100,000 € to 18 inmates because of overcrowded prisons

News

Overcrowding Romania

Romania will have to pay close to EUR 100,000 compensations to 18 convicted inmates who have served prison sentences or are currently incarcerated because of the poor detention conditions in local prisons, following a decision by the European Court of Human Rights – ECHR in Strasbourg.