PRISONS IN THE FOCUS OF GOVERNMENT ATTENTION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS: Head of a justice ministry department
supervising Armenian correction facilities said the prisons and their
conditions were in the focus of constant government attention. “If
the government keeps on the rate of funding unchanged the system will
mark a tangible progress in next 7-8 years,’ the department head,
Samvel Hovhanesian, said.
He said the system’s improvement depends on several factors, such as
change of the society’s perception of prisons, higher level of legal
awareness and knowledge, the inmates’ desire to protect their rights,
but added, however, that “we are going now to another extremity when
by defending the convicts’ rights we violate the prison personnel’s
rights.”
He then said the ministry is working to secure the inmates with jobs
and to this end seeks contracts with businessmen. He also said low
wages (more than $100) keep people away from the system. “We have now
200 vacancies,” he said, adding that the job is not attractive for
people, mainly because of dilapidated facilities. Contrary to this,
he said, the renovated Vardashen prison, that almost complies with
many of western standards, has no vacancies. He also praised the work
of non-governmental organizations which seek to track down and raise
the inmates’ problems, saying it helps them to assess these problems
and seek their solution.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress