TIRANA, March 13/ATA/-Albania’s Justice Minister Etilda Gjonaj pledged on Tuesday to root out corruption in Albania’s prisons through implementing a sweeping reform.
The minister made the statement during an inspection of the prison in Peqin.
Gjonaj said that the government has undertaken a sweeping reform in the prisons and expressed her determination of implementing the reform that will root out corruption that has grown for years on end, as she put it.
According to the minister, the purity and moral integrity of the prison staff is the main object of the reform. It is the only way of strengthening security in the prisons and ensuring a professional service in the penitentiary institutions.
“During the verification process carried out by the Ministry of Justice it came out that about 100 prison warders have criminal records which mean they shouldn’t have been part of the system. On the other hand, it came out that 70 prison warders didn’t have the relevant education for the job”, is read in the press release of the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice has also expressed its determination not to allow any toleration during the vetting process of the moral integrity of the prison staff. “All those who fail to meet the criteria will leave the job”, is read further in the ministry’s press release.
Speaking about the new system of recruitment, aiming at having not a political, but a professional staff, Gjonaj said, “To meet this goal, in cooperation with the Academy of Security, there will be organized professional tests for recruitment of new staff and further on the selected candidates will be subject to training courses tailored according to tasks of their job in the prisons”.
Likewise, during the inspection in Peqin prison, Minister Gjonaj saw from very close the inner venues of the prison and gave special instructions for adjustment of some shortcomings./a.g/p.s./
