COOPERATION IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
7.02.2014

Institution for execution of criminal sanctions-Correctional Institute in Nis, located in the territory of the City Municipality of Palilula, after the appointment of a new warden, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Army of Serbia Aleksandar Grbović, is all the more open to cooperation with the local community. According to the Department of Justice and Public Administration, Nis prison is on its way to becoming one of the best prison in Serbia.

Late last year, this institution was visited by activists of the Centre for Human Rights and journalists, and last week a correctional center in Nis was visited by Boban Džunić, president of Municipality of Palilula. In conversation with the warden Aleksandar Grbovic, president of Municipality of Palilula said that there is willingness of management and administration of the municipality of Palilula, to achieve better cooperation. The municipality of Palilula, in order to achieve the strategic development plan and projects goals, must continue on establishing appropriate models of cooperation with institutions that are located in the municipality and have a wider social significance. It is expected for the Institution for criminal sanctions (prison Niš), according to the president of Palilula Boban Džunić, to become a partner to municipality of Palilula.

"We want to improve the operation of our facilities and achieve a better relationship with the local government-pointed administrator Grbović. First, we have analyzed our capabilities and vulnerabilities. With rational consumption and better organization, we saved significant resources and consumption of electricity, water, and fuel.  We have reduced the arrears in utility costs. We offered production in our workshops for the market and not just for the OCA. Late last year, in the "Milka Protic" settlement, which is adjacent to our Institute, we opened a provider of tire repair services (repair, tire repair and balancing all types of car tires) and a car washing and polishing vehicle service.

The administrator Grbović indicates that the work of convicts is voluntary and that about 400 prisoners out of 1,350 want to work. For their work prisoners receive adequate wages, which for many is very important. They are motivated by the fact that engagement is appreciated when deciding on parole. The prison farm economy produced enough meat for the prison kitchen. Vegetables are not bought as previously, but grown in our greenhouses; we have produced more than 20,000 liters of milk and 90,000 eggs. Last year we picked and delivered about 16 tons of cherries.  Fodder production is also increased by 100 percent.

In addition to currently completing the construction work on the renovation of the second pavilion, inmates produce food for the prison kitchen, which covers 80 percent of the needs of the Penitentiary, and are active in the units in which the textile products are manufactured, water heaters, stoves, and even the hive, repaired furniture, and also working in vulcanizing service that has been opened.

Visiting the prison continued in the renovated second pavilion - building for enhanced supervision. And this building is ready, but not yet fully occupied. The renovation has been invested with 16.5 million and most of the works were performed by inmates. Grbović points out that all rooms meet all standards. As the Pavilions A and B were renovated earlier this year, we began the renovation of Pavilion C, said the warden of Nis Penitentiary.

President Dzunić with the warden Grbovic visited part of the production facilities and the church, “Stefan Decanski ," in the compound of Correctional Institute, an endowment of King Aleksandar Karađorđević in 1934, which reflect the convicts through work on the development of the iconostasis. Over 90 percent of prisoners is Orthodox. “We take care of the religious needs and the other prisoners and the prison, within a secured area, and to enable them to perform their religious rites - says Aleksandar Grbović. Religious service means a lot in the process of re-education and contributes to convict to realize the severity of the offense. Unfortunately, the total number of prisoners in Nis prison says that there are about 35 percent of drug trafficking and more than 50 percent of the returnees.