Pilot Penitentiary Complexes is a project implemented by the Central Board of Prison Service in partnership with the Norwegian Directorate of Correctional Service, in collaboration with the Academy of Justice. Its main objective, implemented under Module 1, is building and launching five modern penitentiary complexes comprising a housing pavilion, a production hall, and a halfway house. One of them is Radom penitentiary complex. Within its structure, there are Radom Detention Centre, where a housing pavilion for 200 inmates and a production hall are planned to be built, and Warszawa-Białołęka Detention Centre, where a halfway house is planned to be built.
In connection with the implementation of the project called “Pilot penitentiary complexes”, representatives of the Norwegian Prison Service visited the penitentiary units of the Warsaw district participating in the project on 19-20 October 2021. Ketil Schreiner Evjen – Western Region Director, Ørjan Fond – Bjørgvin Prison and Lyderhorn halfway house Governor, Ivar Solhaug Jensen – Bergen Prison Deputy Governor, Åsmund Steine – Bjørgvin Prison Deputy Governor visited Warszawa Białołęka Detention Centre and Radom Detention Centre. The delegation from the Kingdom of Norway was accompanied by Ltc. Włodzimierz Głuch, Director of the Central Board of Prison Service Penitentiary Bureau and representatives of the subordinate staff. During the visits of the units, the delegation Norway met with the Director of the Warsaw District of the Prison Service – Mjr. Zbigniew Brzostka, and Deputy Director of the Prison Service in Warsaw, Mjr. Michał Chrozulewski and also with the Governors of the visited Detention Centres.
During the discussions, not only were the subjects concerning the implementation of the “Pilot penitentiary complexes” project discussed. The visit of the Norwegian prison staff was also an opportunity to present the Polish penitentiary system and exchange experiences that could be used in the project. Much attention was paid to forms and methods of correctional treatment, such as the employment of people deprived of liberty, teaching, therapy, carrying out specialized rehabilitation programs, co-operation with the outside world. The operation of the prison production hall was presented to the participants, s well as the Centre for Life-Long Learning. The delegation also visited the treatment unit, and also learned about the organization of the prison health service during a visit to the sickbay and hospital ward in the Detention Centre in Radom. Moreover, there were questions about security and protection of penal facilities, which provided an opportunity to discuss ways of protecting the establishments and to visit the Units where inmates requiring high security are housed.
The visit of the representatives of the Kingdom of Norway’s prison staff to the penal facilities of the Warsaw district is another step in the project "Pilot penitentiary complexes". The opportunity to exchange experiences and to learn what is known as "good practice" will provide comprehensive support for the social rehabilitation and re-adaptation process of the inmates in the pilot penitentiary complex of Radom.
