Protests continued in 13 Romanian prisons on Friday. Inmates in Iasi, Botosani and Focsani were still protesting on the prisons’ roofs, while others refused the meal.
In Iasi Penitentiary three prisoners are protesting on the roof, while other 231 refused the meal. In Botosani six inmates were on the roof, while 220 refused to eat, the National Penitentiary Administration informed on Friday.
Several inmates in Oradea, Vaslui, Jilava, Tulcea, Bistriţa, Aiud, Bacău, Arad, Târgu Mureş şi Brăila were also protesting by refusing the meal.
But how do inmates get to climb on the prisons’ roofs anyway?
The leader of the National Trade Union of the Penitentiary Workers, Stefan Teoroc told Digi 24 that the Romanian prisons have ideal structures for climbing, for the windows have bars. In Romania, the penitentiaries are hosted by former military units, former factories that were revamped, or better were patched up.
“The fact that today we are cracking a wall to make another door to get faster to the walking courtyards, that we are extending a courtyard to make room for more inmates, these are all amenities and improvisations which enable the climbing,” Teoroc said.
On the other hand, the trade union leader warns over the scarce human resources in penitentiaries. According to him, one police officer is monitoring no less than 200 inmates. It’s no easy task for them, they have to negotiate with the prisoners, Teoroc says.
Moreover, he reveals that Romanian penitentiary system is not a repressive one, is not based on forced intervention. “We are cohabiting with the inmates and we relay on talking to them first before any intervention,” the trade union leader added.
More about the inmates’ protests in the past days available here.