The foster home in Domeikava started operating in compliance with the law, according to the Prison Service

The service also does not rule out that it will appeal the decision of the prosecutor’s office.

“Lithuanian Prison Service ensures that the operation of the half-way house of the Kaunas prison has been started in compliance with the applicable legal acts. No violations of this activity have been detected by other competent institutions following examining the received appeals or complaints,” reads the comment sent to BNS on Friday.

The Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office warned the Lithuanian Prison Service not to commit violations when establishing a half-way house in Domeikava, Kaunas district, and demanded first, as required by law, to change the purpose of the land and only then start the operation of the half-way house.

The service informed that following getting to know the prosecutor’s decision in detail and evaluating his arguments, he reserves the right to appeal once morest it, as stated in the decision.

At that time, Rima Stabrauskienė, the elder of Kumpių-Šakių villages’ eldership, announced on Thursday evening that eight convicts have already been accommodated in the halfway house on Stumbro street, Šakių village, Domeikava ward.

According to the law, special purpose buildings (barracks, prisons, correctional colonies, pretrial detention centers, police, fire and rescue services buildings, shelters, etc.) can be built on a plot of land, the purpose of which is other, and the method of use is public areas . At that time, according to the data of the services, the said plot, where there is a half-way house, can be used for commercial purposes, and the object registered here is a guest house.

The elder of Kumpių-Šakių villages seniūnaitija asked the prosecutor to apply to the court, defending the public interest, to demand the cancellation of the building’s purchase-sale agreement, to apply temporary protective measures – to prevent the buyer (the Republic of Lithuania, represented by the Lithuanian Prison Service) from transferring the remaining almost 370,000 to the seller. amount of euros.

The prosecutor says that the final decision will be made following analyzing all the data.

The Lithuanian Prison Service announced on Thursday that according to the approved new description of the procedure, the number of residents in this half-way house of the Kaunas Prison will not exceed 10 in the first half of the year, and all convicts will be collared during this period.

At the same time, it is committed to present half-way house activities to the Domeikava community following half a year.

The prison service’s plans to open a half-way house in Domeikava, near Kaunas, met with opposition from residents, Kaunas city and district municipalities. The people behind the petition call the halfway house an open prison. According to them, this facility, where up to 25 convicts would live permanently, would operate near apartment buildings, schools, and kindergartens.

Responding to concerns, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, who met with the community at the end of November, presented new plans to reduce the scope of the project, taking into account the arguments of residents.