Bill on the execution of prison sentence sent to Parliament

Zagreb - The Government on Thursday sent to the Parliament a bill on the execution of prison sentence, which should speed up the process of sending convicts to serve their prison term and create conditions for parole under electronic surveillance.

Justice and Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said the act on the execution of prison sentence dated back to 1999 and had been amended 13 times, so there was a need for a new law.

The bill speeds up the process of sending convicts to serve their prison sentence, ensures equal status of all prisoners and raises the level of security in penitentiaries and prisons.

In addition, it improves the realisation of prisoners' rights and regulates the operation of the prison hospital in Zagreb as a penitentiary with the status of a health facility that carries out health activities, Malenica said.

Also, he underscored, the law ensures better protection of rights of victims of crime and misdemeanors.

Another novelty is that the law provides the legal basis for adopting rules on parole under electronic surveillance, which have not existed so far, Minister Malenica added.