Vilnius Prison employee activities under review amid concerns over inmate treatment

An internal review is examining employee activities at Vilnius Prison to determine if personal connections influenced decisions affecting inmates' legal status and conditions of their sentence execution. The Lithuanian Prison Service announced that the investigations are assessing the extent of any impact these relationships may have had.

During the course of these checks, instances were identified where decisions were made that granted inmates more favorable conditions. Preliminary assessments suggest these decisions lacked adequate legal basis under the provisions of the Law on the Execution of Sentences. This has prompted a directive for the heads of Vilnius Prison's Security Management and Resocialization departments.

These department heads are now responsible for re-evaluating the identified decisions. They must assess their justification and legality, making necessary corrections and reinforcing the control mechanisms for approving such decisions. The goal is to ensure that all decisions regarding inmates are made strictly in accordance with legal frameworks.

“

During the checks, cases were identified where decisions were made that created more favorable conditions for inmates, although, according to the initial assessment, there was no sufficient legal basis for making such decisions under the provisions of the Law on the Execution of Sentences.