Returning food packages to prison remains MPs to decide how to decide

Even in the draft Law on Execution of Criminal Sanctions, adopted in principle days ago, food packages are prohibited. However, the justice ministry leaves open the possibility that between two readings includes the return of the food package.

Although it is an earlier practice, organisations monitoring Kosovo prisons consider this right to return to convicts.

Fatmire Haliti from the Kosovar Centre for the rehabilitation of Torture Survivors says that now and several years prisoners are demanding the return of the food package.

“With preliminary laws, under the 2010 law and 2013, has been recognized as fair and allowed prisoners to accept a food package within the month by family members. Meanwhile, under the Law of 2017 when the 2013 completion -- without any discussion or public reasoning -- has been changed, where prisoners have been denied this right to a food package. Even then, in 2017, there has been a revolt by all prisoners holding various strikes and paperwork”, she points out.

She says that while drafting this bill has submitted recommendations for restoring food packages, this right is not included in the first reading.
“During visits by institutional officials were promised the moment the law is amended, this right will be returned because it has been a constant request of the convicts. Now with the new amendment of the Criminal Sanctions Procedure Bill, which has spent the first reading in the past week, the right to a food package still does not recognise convicted persons”, Haliti adds.

The Council for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms considers that the practice of food packages is being rejected without reason, since even after their ban there has been smuggling.

This is an alibi without a cover, because smuggling has never been stopped. It has even intensified because smuggling has largely been done by staff even those who have dealt with most prisons. If you take a food package and it opens in front of the prisoners, it's checked if there's something forbidden, then it's removed from the package. Now there are more technical possibilities than before simply investigating everything that is forbidden and not getting inside”, says KMDLNj chairman Behgjet Shala.

Political adviser to the Ministry of Justice Alban Muriqi states that in the draft law on executions of criminal sanctions, the issue of food packages for convicted persons does not figure out, but he vows it will be discussed between two readings.

We don't know exactly how the discussions are going to follow, but it's fine as long as this opportunity for the convicts is being discussed. The justice minister said that because of smuggling and combating smuggling with prohibited means and issues of public health interest, it is good not to go. However, it has been given as an opportunity to make it reasonable for MPs to see it reasonable after discussions that this return to second reading”, Muriqi declares.

However, the Ministry of Justice itself does not see the return of food package for prisoners to corrective institutions as reasonable.

We've estimated not only on the part of internationals, but we also see it as standard that doesn't apply very much. It's a past practice. In many other ways, we can fill that need. Kosovo's correcting service sees the opportunity to expand opportunities in the cantina. For years now, food packages have been banned and convicts have been learned. We believe that it is still more reasonable not to offer this opportunity because of the dangers I mentioned. I believe that this spirit will lead to the discussions... We don't support it in principle, but if MPs decide when to discuss it, the minister is open to redefining”, the political adviser in the MD follows.

Last week in the Kosovo Assembly, the draft law on executing criminal sanctions has been adopted in principle, where, among other things, the possibility of restoring food package has been mentioned. / KP/