Shasivari: Regional cooperation essential in the fight against organized crime

Justice Minister Jeton Shasivari said at the Regional Conference “Organized Crime in Prisons – Strengthening Integrity, Intelligence Capacities and Cooperation in Southeast Europe” that the fight against organized crime and corruption in penitentiary institutions is one of the priorities of prison system reform.

According to him, criminal groups operate across borders, exploit institutional weaknesses and extend their activities into several countries. For this reason, he said, addressing this problem requires a joint regional approach.

Shasivari underlined the need for faster and more efficient intelligence data sharing, greater coordination among institutions, joint assessments of security and corruption risks, and the joint strengthening of capacities in penitentiary systems.

In recent months, several concrete steps have been taken to strengthen the system. As part of these efforts, 100 new officials have been hired, specialized anti-corruption training has begun, and prison intelligence units have been established in Idrizovo, Shtip, Prilep and Skopje Prison.

Work is also under way to increase professionalism in the management of the prison system. To this end, legal amendments are being prepared that would enable experienced professionals from within the system to be appointed to leadership positions in the prison police./Telegrafi/