Social Democrat MP and former justice minister Robert Cazanciuc posted a letter on his Facebook page in which he proposes the use of inmates for maintenance work at historical monuments.

The open letter is addressed to the current justice minister Tudorel Toader, national defense minister Gabriel Les, and culture minister Ioan Vulpescu.

“The recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on detention conditions in Romania has been an opportunity for a wide-ranging debate on the steps to be taken in resolving the issue of overcrowding of penitentiaries, and respect for fundamental rights. Until strategies and plans for the social reintegration of inmates are implemented, and until the prison infrastructure is rehabilitated, I’d like to draw your attention to a project via which those who are serving time contribute to the care of historical monuments located near their place of detention,” reads the letter.

According to Cazanciuc, this initiative aims to make a priority the maintenance of historical monuments raised in the memory of those who lost their lives during the World War I, making possible the Act of Union from December 1, 1918.

“For an inmate who is doing time in a penitentiary with an area that is ten times smaller than required by the standards, caring for a monument will not be just “a way of getting out for work” but also a lesson that will contribute to his reintegration into society,” Robert Cazanciuc said in his letter.

The current justice minister Tudorel Toader also commented to Cazanciuc’s Facebook post, saying: “I support it – a great initiative!”

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in a judgment issued on April 25 that detention conditions in Romanian prisons are in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights and “point to a structural deficiency requiring the adoption of general measures by the state.” Thus, the Romanian Government has six months to come up with measures to reduce overcrowding and improve detention conditions.

Inmates help clean up Bucharest parks

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Robert Marius Cazanciuc on Facebook)