Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Monday unveiled a new “small-sized, highest European-standard” penitentiary facility designed for 700 convicts in the western Georgian town of Laituri in Guria region.

The Justice Ministry stressed replacement of large prisons with smaller facilities was its “priority” for further aligning Georgia's penal system with European standards, and noted the Laituri Penitentiary “fully complied with all recommendations” of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The Ministry said about 250 employees would take care of the safety, rehabilitation and resocialisation of inmates, with the facility “completely adapted” to meet the requirements of the institution's personnel and inmates, and accommodate persons with disabilities.

It added convicts would have access to “high-quality” medical care, sports infrastructure, education opportunities for all professions and an auditorium equipped with modern technology for a digital university, enabling those at the facility to attend online lectures and interact with teachers.

The body also said convicts and employees of the penitentiary institution would also be able to receive public services at the facility in a project promoted by the Ministry as a “Georgian innovation having no precedent in any country”.

The opening event also featured a presentation of RE-BOX, a project created in cooperation with the Digital Governance Agency to improve access to digital equipment for convicts and efficiency of resocialisation projects.

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