Prison Department

The demolition of an unused complex of buildings that used to house a correctional facility will start in Vilnius on Tuesday.

Lithuania's Ministry of Justice is working on a project which, if fully implemented, should contribute to reducing the number of prisoners in the country by one fifth, Lithuanian Justice Minister Elvinas Jankevičius said on Friday.

Eighty-eight persons, including 69 men and 19 women, were diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Lithuania in January through July this year, down from 142 cases in the same period last year, the Center for Communicable Diseases and AIDS said.

The Lithuanian Justice Ministry is considering turning to law-enforcement bodies over irregularities identified during an audit of the Prison Department, Justice Minister Elvinas Jankevičius said on Monday.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė on Monday called for stepping up reforms in the country's prison system after meeting with Elvinas Jankevičius, a candidate for justice minister.

Elvinas Jankevičius, proposed for Lithuania's justice minister, says he would seek to restore public trust in the prison system, if appointed justice minister.

Lithuanian Deputy Justice Minister Raimondas Bakšys on Wednesday dismissed allegations that he tried to stall audits of the prison system and said that he would discuss the situation with Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis when he returns to work after a holiday.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė says that she doubts whether Justice Minister Milda Vainiutė and Deputy Justice Minister Raimondas Bakšys are competent enough to perform their duties.

Rasa Kazėnienė, former employee of the Lithuanian Prisons Department who is currently working at the Justice Ministry, has accused Vice-Minister Raimondas Bakšys of aiming to stall the audit of the prisons system.

Justice Minister Milda Vainiutė will this week appoint Robertas Krikštaponis as director of the Lithuanian Prison Department.

Lithuania's government has decided to raise the next year's budget spending by 55 million euros, as compared with the initial project, to be able to raise salaries for doctors and public servants, as well as provide more social assistance to municipalities, says Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis.

The Kaunas Remand Prison, which was recently scrutinized by a few control institutions and checked by the Lithuanian Justice Ministry, has been subjected to new checks after its chief accountant Rasa Kazėnienė again turned to the ministry.

Lithuania's Justice Minister Milda Vainiūtė on Wednesday said she sacked Edvardas Kviatkauskas from director of the Kaunas Remand Prison over gross violations after an in-service check.

Živilė Mikėnaitė, the Lithuanian Prison Department's director who earlier this year was temporarily suspended her from duties amid a probe, has stepped down.

Živilė Mikėnaitė, director of the Lithuanian Prison Department, has appealed to a court against the justice minister's decision to suspend her from duties.

Edvardas Kviatkauskas, head of the Kaunas Remand Prison, and Živilė Mikėnaitė, a former head of the prison and now director of the of the Prison Department, have been suspended from duties, the Justice Ministry said on Thursday.