Ukraine's justice ministry to offer at least four prison facilities for sale in 2021

Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Malyuska has said the ministry plans to offer at least four prison facilities for sale next year as part of a privatization campaign.

In particular, Malyuska informed about the ministry's action plans for 2021, the agency's press service wrote on Facebook on December 30.

"In 2021, the following is expected: the privatization of at least four prisons; the publication of a comprehensive Prison Ranking; the opening of new facilities related to prison infrastructure; and the launch of the construction of new pretrial detention centers," he said.

Read alsoWHO to check Ukrainian jails to assess fight against diseases – health officialMoreover, draft laws that "will completely change the penal system" are expected to be passed by parliament, he added.

Malyuska also noted the ministry's failure "to switch to the active phase of the large-scale sale of prisons."

"There were numerous bureaucratic obstacles on the way. But in the end, with the approval of the 2021 national budget, the light at the end of the tunnel is seen: its norms stipulate that revenue from the privatization of prisons will be distributed at a ratio of 70/30 (70% is to be channeled into a special fund and, accordingly, new construction projects, while 30% into the budgets' general revenue). Although this delays the terms a little, it still gives us the opportunity to eventually sell prisons within the small-scale privatization procedure," he summed up.

Sale of prisons in Ukraine

• On August 6, Malyuska announced the start of the sale of prisons that are not used in Ukraine.
• Most likely, the prisons will no longer be used as penitentiary facilities and will be liquidated, he says.
• At the same time, the minister noted that the sale of prisons does not mean the release of convicts. "We just have too much surplus property to maintain. So, we start sales just with this property," he said.
• According to the minister, mothballed prisons, which are not used but they require financing will be put up for sale first.
• At the same time, Malyuska projected the construction of new penitentiary facilities.