Minister of Justice in the departing but still serving Latvian government Jānis Bordāns is happy: one of his political priorities will be implemented. On Tuesday, 22 November, Latvia’s government signed the contract for the construction of a new prison in Liepaja This new correctional facility is set to open its doors to «guests» in September 2025.
«This is the infrastructure vital to ensure continued existence of any country. This infrastructure is intended to keep society safe and make sure crime rate is low. The state must take care of its children so that each and every one of them growth up to become a proper and respected member of society. We also have to take care of the people who have ended up in trouble or have created problems for others. We have to preserve each member of society as best we can,» stresses Bordāns.
The minister believes now is the best time to build the prison – society does not want to keep overpaying for repairs of old prison infrastructure. Residents also demand the government take measures to reduce crime in the country.
The new prison will also serve as «positive economic contribution» for Kurzeme.
The existing nine prisons in Latvia were built during the Tsar or Soviet regime, and represent beliefs of the time: that convicts have to be punished by locking them away and forgetting they exist, said the Ministry of Justice deputy state secretary for legal policy issues Anda Smiltēna. She reminded: during the Tsar era it was believed that allowing convicts to bathe once a week was acceptable hygiene, adding that very little progress has been made in prisons since then.
Latvia’s Ministry of Justice has fought for a modern prison system that would correct convicts’ thinking and actions and would provide prison workers with as safe and comfortable work environment for the last 17 years.
Chief of Latvia’s Prison Administration Dmitrijs Kaļins comments: «This new prison will provide safety to members of society and convicts alike. […] We will have everything there – employment sector, school, other specialised premises and surveillance cameras. […] There is a big difference between a cell with a wooden floor, where it is possible to hide prohibited items and whatnot, and a prison with concrete walls and a security system under which the presence of prohibited items is almost impossible.»
When asked by BNN if this new prison was inspired by a prison in some other country, board member of the Courthouse Agency Santa Sausiņa said it was not. However, in the early stages of the project Latvia’s Ministry of Justice was consulted by Estonian architects who designed prisons in their home country. As time went on, however, requirements for prisons increased, and Estonian architects’ recommendations were reviewed accordingly.
Jūlija Zandersone, executive director of Citrus Solutions, admits that 34 months to complete the project is a challenge. Currently it is planned to complete the necessary design work by November 2023. The construction site will be prepared then as well.
Actual construction is scheduled to commence in 2024. During the most active stages of construction it is planned to have up to 300 people on site.
In response to BNN’s question if EUR 126 million (without VAT) is enough and whether it may be necessary to add corrections to the contract later down the line, Zandersone explained: the prices of the next three years were composed «within reason». This includes cost indexation, which is intended to help both sides adapt to changes of the situation.
BNN asked the minister: would he feel honoured if the new prison was dubbed «Bordāns’ prison». The politician, though embarrassed at first, replied with a smile: there were attempts to name laws after him in the past, and, if the project succeeds, he would not worry about it. Bordāns said he feels happy just seeing the prison project going forward. He jumped on this idea in 2013, when he was minister of justice and a member of the National Alliance.
The prison will be located 5.6 km away from the city centre, on Alsungas Street 29, where it will take up to 30 ha of territory already geotechnically surveyed, deforested and prepared for construction. The total area of the prison complex will be approximately 45 thousand m2. To save resources, its planned construction scale was previously reduced by more than 6 000 m2.
The project was entrusted in full to Citrus Solutions LLC. The contract itself is worth EUR 125 874 569.87 (without VAT). To afford this project the Ministry of Justice was allowed to borrow EUR 175 643 319 from the state budget for a period of four years (2022-2026).
Both the minister and other sides part of the justice system are thrilled to explain the historic importance of this construction project. Finally an EU and OSCE member state will have a prison in which convicts will no only serve prison time –
they will have access to specialists that will help re-socialize them, change their way of thinking and reduce the risk of them committing crimes again.
The prison complex, which will be able to imprison up to 1 200 people in 600 cells, will also help limit «development of prison culture among inmates». During their prison term inmates will be provided with «individually considered basic rights».
Currently Latvia has Riga Central Prison, Ilguciems Prison in Riga, Cesis Youth Detention Centre for minors, Daugavpils Prison, Jelgava Prison, Jekabpils Prison, Liepaja Prison, Olaine Prison, Valmiera Prison. As of 31 December 2021 all prisons combined had 3 183 inmates (808 under arrest and 2 375 convicts). The total number of ‘available seats’ is 4 822.
At the end of 2021 there were 267 women and 27 minors (one girl among them) serving time in prisons. 69 convicts are currently serving life sentence.