On 28 November, during a working visit to Liepāja, President Edgars Rinkēvičs visited the newly constructed Liepāja prison, built under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. It is the first prison to be built since Latvia regained its independence.
“The aim of penal policy is to protect public safety, restore justice, reintegrate convicted persons, and ensure that the offender as well as others obeys the law and refrains from committing new crimes. In today’s world, a penal system capable of effectively achieving these aims is unthinkable without an appropriate and safe environment for inmates and, in particular, for the staff who work daily with those serving their sentences. A just punishment fulfils its purpose when the convicted offender genuinely reforms and does not commit further crimes. This requires proper conditions – a safe, modern environment that meets human rights standards. After visiting the new Liepāja prison today, I am convinced that the necessary preconditions have been created to achieve these goals as effectively as possible, especially in the implementation of inmate reintegration programmes and in ensuring appropriate working conditions for prison staff. I hope that the new Liepāja prison will become a model of an effective and modern penal system,” said President Rinkēvičs after his visit.
The most modern and secure prison in the Baltic states and Northern Europe is scheduled to be opened and fully operational in the spring of 2026, once the Prison Administration has completed the complex equipment installation and staff training.
