The construction of a new prison facility in Pancevo began today. The prison shall have the capacity to accommodate 500 persons deprived of their freedom, i.e. 300 convicts and 200 detainees. Their relocation is planned for two years from now.

The foundations were formally laid by Minister Nikola Selakovic and the ceremony marking the commencement of the works was also attended by Milan Stevovic – Director of Penal Sanctions Enforcement Directorate, Sasa Pavlov - Pancevo Mayor and representatives of judicial and City/local institutions.

“The new prison shall be built on a 10-acre land, which is part of the Pancevo District Prison and on route to Bavaniste“, the Justice Minister stated. He added that the [subject] Correctional Institute would be constructed in accordance with contemporary standards, the highest level of security and equipped with special technical protection system.

“The prison shall be constructed to the newest standards and I can claim that it will be the most modern prison in Serbia”, Selakovic stated.

It is planned that the entire complex be surrounded by a perimeter protection system, and the facility itself with IC sensors and several hundred video surveillance cameras. At the entrance, there will be impenetrable glass, new generation KD doors, a scanning tunnel and a private room for pat-down inspection.

The entire complex, to be spread across 24,000 m2, would consist of seven (7) buildings: two (2) for convicts’ accommodation, one for the kitchens, one for the Administration staff, one as a reception building, one visitors’ building and one for technical rooms.

“The cost of construction and equipping is 23 million euros, 18 million of which has been loaned by the Central European Bank and 5 million for the equipping co-financed by Serbia”, the Minister stated. He stressed that the new prison would be furnished (beds, mattresses, desks, chairs, etc. being put in place) by the “tenants” of the Pozarevac-Zabela, Sremska Mitrovica, Valjevo and Nis prisons.

Once the works are completed, the existing District Prison in Pancevo – located in the pedestrian zone of the city centre – shall be relocated. The idea is to have the Ministry of Justice transfer its ownership of the facility to the City Administration which shall then turn it into a museum.

This facility has the capacity of 160 persons and, according to the Administration’s records, it dates back to the time of Maria Teresa or, more precisely, the second half of 18th century. Since then, its purpose has not been changed.

Serbia currently has 35 prisons, of which five (5) are in Kosovo&Metohija. In addition to the new prison in Pancevo – in the words of the Minister -, the construction of a new Correctional Institute in Kragujevac was planned to begin by the end of the year.

“In this way, we again demonstrated that what we had started in 2012 and, especially, 2014 – following the newest standards - was to assume responsibility towards, not only the state, but also the persons who had committed criminal offences and found themselves incarcerated, for the purpose of having their behaviours corrected”, Selakovic said.

He reminded those present that three years before, Serbia had been “number one” on [the list of] “prisons overcrowded”, but that it had in the meantime improved by moving 10 places down.

“In recent years, the capacities of prisons have increased from 7,200 to 9,800 persons being able to be accommodated”, Selakovic noted.

“With the construction of the [new] prison, the prison in Kragujevac and the new pavilions in Sremska Mitrovica-Zabela and Leskovac, we will reach optimal capacity taking into account the total number of detainees and convicts, i.e. we will achieve a “one place-one person” result if not even achieve having more places per person ", Selakovic stated.

Dr Milan Stevovic - Director of the Penal Sanctions Enforcement Directorate praised the cooperation with the Pancevo City Administration, particularly on the pre-project works.

“We have overcome all obstacles and we hope that in the next 18 months we will all be proud of the new prison and the accompanying water supply and sewage systems projects [being in place]”, Stevovic commented