Galati penitentiary

On the beginning of 19th century, issue of prison reforms began to worry royal court of the two Romanian principalities. This was due to the fact that, towards Western European countries, places of detention for execution of sentences by those sentenced to imprisonment were more backward. Penal law, implemented in Moldova and Tara Romaneasca in mid 17th century and which was still applied in the 19th century, was exceeded. That law does not provide proper organization of places of detention and somewhat human places. As a consequence of this fact, that law was modified in 1831 through criminal law of Organic Regulations, being made a step forward for improving Principality's prisons. Social needs, imposed by the criminal act, led local political-administrative factors to take measures for the establishment of prison settlements for people outside the law. As a result, in 1862 is implemented a new regulation of prisons that has been applied to 1874, when Law on prison regime appeared. When the new law has been applied has been adopted the system of separation of prisoners at night, and day, they worked together, applying the rules of silence. In town on the Danube, Galati, worked up in 1897, two prison settlements: military arrest, known as market guard, and arrest of the Court of Appeal. Lack of separation in places of detention and the beginnings of labor movement in Romania hastened construction of a new prison which brings together two existing prisons. As a result of this situation, in 1893, Galati City Hall gave to General Department of Penitentiaries a place of common property located on Traian street. In 1894 began the construction penitentiary, construction that was completed in 1897, when the prisoners of the two prisons were moved to new building. The architecture was identical to Craiova Penitentiary, because both were built at the same time. Galati penitentiary, since the time of construction, was appreciated by politicians from that time as a modern prison, totaling 350 beds in 90 rooms and with all the dependencies necessary for the proper conduct of activities. Today, Galati penitentiary is a public institution with legal personality, subordinated to the Ministry of Justice and is part of the public institutions of defense, public order and national security state. Galati penitentiary help defend the public order and national security by safeguarding, escorting, surveillance, through the application of the detention regime and organizing social assistance and education activities for social reintegration of inmates. Through educational function, the penitentiary unit performs rehabilitation of inmates, by maintaining and improving the individual's condition.

Penitentiary is profiled on holding in custody of inmates, men and women who execute penalties of imprisonment in maximum security and closed regimes. Unit has 9 sections including one women and one outside, in town Sendreni, Galati county. The unit has also people in preventive arrest and ensure their submission and sentenced persons to law enforcement officials and courts in the counties of Galati and Braila. Business activities carried out by prisoners: production to work points outside (construction, agriculture, forestry, municipal), the unit service, community service.