A significant number of bodily injury cases have been recorded, particularly at Penitentiary No. 10 in Goian, which holds minors and young detainees. The data is included in the thematic report “Safety and Security of Inmates in the Penitentiary System: Realities and Perspectives”, presented by the Council for the Prevention of Torture, IPN reports.

While in 2023, 37 cases of injuries were recorded, by early August 2024, the registry of bodily injuries and self-harm already listed 59 cases: 26 incidents of self-harm and 33 of bodily injury.

The report also highlights a particularly concerning issue: during a visit to Penitentiary No. 10, the Council for the Prevention of Torture found several individuals with injuries that had not been officially recorded. The prison doctor claimed to visit every cell at least once a day, while detainees reported speaking to him only briefly through the window as he passed by their section.

Self-destructive behaviors are on the rise in Penitentiary No. 10, especially self-harm, hunger strikes, bodily injuries, suicide attempts, and suicides.

Additionally, the Council is concerned about the strained, far-from-friendly relations between the staff of Penitentiary No. 10 and the minors/young people held there.

The staff does not prepare Individual Assistance Plans for minors in pre-trial detention, arguing that such plans are not needed until a sentencing decision is made. As a result, there are no activities aligned with the minors’ needs or risks. During both of the Council’s visits to the penitentiary, members did not observe any minors participating in activities, except for a few working in the kitchen and a few others storing coal.

Experts also visited other penitentiaries that house or can accommodate minors or mothers with children under three years old - Penitentiary No. 11 in Balti and Penitentiary No. 7 in Rusca.

At the time of the visit, Penitentiary No. 7 in Rusca was holding only one mother with a child under three years old. Although the conditions were generally good, the report points out two major concerns: children’s food and hygiene products are not budgeted for, and more importantly, children remain with their mothers in detention at all times, lacking contact with the community.

In Penitentiary No. 11 in Balti, where six minors were held, the material conditions of detention were deemed unsatisfactory.

The People’s Advocate, Ceslav Panico, emphasized that preventing mistreatment and ensuring a safe environment in detention requires a systemic approach backed by legislation, institutions, and budget.

“The penitentiary system must be viewed as an integral part of the criminal justice system and the policy of social reintegration,” the Ombudsman stated.