Next steps for correctional industries: Study on economic activities in the penitentiary system of the Republic of Moldova
Smartt, Ursula and Hadarca, Sorin (2021) Next steps for correctional industries: Study on economic activities in the penitentiary system of the Republic of Moldova. [Report] (Submitted)
Abstract
Finding a way of earning a living is one of the most important elements of a prisoner’s ability to reintegrate into society upon release from prison. For many convicted prisoners their time in prison may be the first opportunity that they have had to develop vocational skills and to do regular work. The main purpose of requiring prisoners to work is to prepare them for a normal working life on their release from prison and to run factories for the benefit of other parts of public authorities run by the state. Of course, prisoner employment or ‘correctional labour’ is only one element of social rehabilitation. A full response to reducing recidivism and prisoners’ reoffending requires opportunities to develop all the skills needed to return to society; for many prisoners this also includes education, social and vocational skills training. Several research studies in the UK and USA have established that inmates who worked in ‘real’ work situations in correctional industries were found to be significantly more successful in post-release employment in the open labour market. That is to say, they became tax-paying citizens quicker and remained in that status longer than those who had not engaged in meaningful employment whilst serving a prison sentence. Additionally, post-release prisoners were more successful in staying away from crime, due to the fact they had savings accrued from their wages inside prisons, and were found to have slower and reduced recidivism, as measured by arrest, conviction and re-incarceration, than those post-releasees who had not worked inside.1 This study firstly defined and analysed the present economic activities, including prisoner labour, in the penitentiary system of the Republic of Moldova, as administered by the National Administration of Penitentiaries (NAP). The research looked specifically at the state of prison industries in four penitentiaries, so-called State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs); these were the female prison Rusca (nr 7) and the male adult prison institutions of Branesti (nr 18), Cricova (nr 4) and Soroca (nr 6). Furthermore, the study looked into the existing incentives for private businesses to contract-in prison labour as well as possible constraints. Similarly, the study examined the motivation of prison management to engage prisoners in economic activities. The study established that low prisoner employment in Moldovan penitentiaries – at around 15% of prisoner population at the time of writing the study – has led to negative consequences, particularly, the so-called ‘wasted years’ leading to low savings, violence among prisoners and proliferation of the gang culture. Secondly, the study aimed to formulate public policy options and recommendations for the future of Moldovan prison industries, based on international comparisons and best practice of ‘what works’ in other countries. Specifically, a number of binding constraints have to be addressed irrespective of the selected policy option, such as: a) unresolved ownership of existing SOEs; b) a current gap in legislation appropriate to deal with the internal market of the penitentiaries (e.g. tendering; licensing; procurement etc); c) impossibility to lease factory workshop space for more than one year; d) physical infrastructure of prison factories; and e) insufficient motivation from the prison management to engage in economic activities. Upon resolving these immediate concerns, decision makers may select from a range of policy options aiming to strengthen CI in Moldova, opting for either a decentralised style of CI management based on self-management of penitentiaries, or for having a centralised body in charge of CI under NAP with strategic development potential.
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