The Minister of Justice and Public Administration, Mr. Nikola Selakovic, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, Ambassador Vincent Degert, and the Head of Administration for Execution of penitentiary sanctions, Mr. Milan Stevovic PhD, will visit the Pozarevac – Zabela prison on Friday, April 19, 2013. Together with the journalists, they will take a tour of the facilities used for pilot training of prisoners within the framework of “VET Support for Serbian Detention Facilities”, funded by the EU.

Until now, 145 convicted persons from three detention facilities in Serbia have successfully completed their training and obtained a certificate, with 126 more prisoners currently attending. The project anticipated that five hundred convicted persons from three detention facilities are trained in one of the five trades which are in high demand on the labor market (welding, silk screen printing, production and assembly of furniture, bakery and market gardening). The journalists will have the opportunity to speak with Project representatives, convicted persons in training, and the instructors who are working with the prisoners.

The project is a part of a broader support the EU is providing to the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration in improving the system for rehabilitation of convicted prisoners, and the overall prison system in the Republic of Serbia. All training equipment was provided through the donation by the EU Delegation in Serbia, as well as preparation of legal procedures and solutions, public information, drafting of VET Concept and Action Plans, and training of 200 civil servants who will cooperate with the prisoners: the Head of Sector, the treatment counselors, instructors of practice, teachers from VET schools with centers for adult education, and employment counselors.