“I understand that no community anywhere would ever want a neighborhood with socially vulnerable groups.” I hear and believe that it is possible to agree on how to implement the project, taking into account the concerns of the community by making certain changes, without persuasion,” Ewelina Dobrowolska told reporters on Monday after a meeting with the residents of Domeikava.
According to her, serious communication mistakes were made when the Lithuanian Prison Service intended to establish a half-way house and a Kaunas regional probation service unit in Domeikava.
The minister emphasized that the residents raised reasonable questions and did not receive the answers they needed.
According to E. Dobrowolska, the community did not receive answers on how many convicts are supervised by one probation officer, what category of convicts will live in the half-way house, etc.
“Uncertainty breeds fear and anxiety,” she asserted.
The minister also admitted that some information was given to the community inaccurately and inappropriately.
“I didn’t come to convince the community, I came to hear what is wrong, what was not properly communicated, what is the expectation, what causes anxiety and uncertainty – whether it’s about probation, or about security, or about categories, and to find answers to those questions. This is the first step that was skipped without hearing from the community,” she explained.
E. Dobrowolska announced that she will meet with the heads of the Prison and Probation Services on Tuesday to answer the questions raised by residents, present the process of establishing a halfway house, and offer constructive solutions.
Residents of Domeikava, located in the Kaunas district, object to the establishment of a halfway house in their neighborhood – an institution where convicts serving their prison sentences live.
Kaunas County Probation Service officials should also be located in the same building.
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.
Kaunas District Mayor Valerijus Makūnas asks the Minister of Justice to ensure the safety of Domeikava residents. According to him, the community is worried about the large number of probationers – they can be up to a thousand in a month.
The government purchased a building from private individuals in the village of Šakiės in Domeikava ward and handed it over to the Lithuanian Prison Service. This project is funded by the Norwegian government.
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2024-08-17 11:40:08
