On Thursday, 9 May, Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere visited the construction site of the new prison in Liepāja as part of her regional visit to assess the progress of the work and to learn more about the planned future works.
Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere says: "I am pleased that the construction of the new prison in Liepāja is on schedule and on budget. The construction of the prison is now halfway through, which would not have been possible without the active involvement and cooperation of the parties involved. We will be able to start work on time. It should be stressed that this will be the most modern and secure prison in the whole of the Baltics. The opening of the new prison will mark the beginning of a completely new stage in the process of execution of sentences in Latvia, with greater emphasis on the re-socialisation of prisoners, employment, and education of staff, with the aim of working to change human behaviour and create a safer society."
Representatives of the Prison Construction Supervisory Committee also visited the construction site of the new prison to see first-hand how a nationwide justice sector project is being implemented, as well as one of the largest public construction projects in Latvia. The project is currently in its 18th month of the 34 months planned for implementation. Two of the six buildings in the prison complex are now fully constructed, the final floors and roofs of two more buildings - the inmate housing blocks - are under construction, and construction of the other buildings is in various stages. During the visit to the construction site, the outlines of the new prison were already clear, so that by the end of 2025, the Latvian penitentiary system and the resocialisation process will be working at a completely new level.
As Dāvis Eniks, CEO of the project promoter SIA "Citrus Solutions", pointed out to the participants at the construction site, "The busiest construction works will take place this summer, when around 400 people will be working at the construction site at the same time. In the first half of the project, we have already proven the professionalism of our team by carrying out work in all six buildings of the complex simultaneously, installing external engineering networks and building infrastructure ahead of schedule. It is a pleasure to carry out the works integrating the latest engineering solutions, both for security and complex management systems, developed during the design phase in close cooperation with the Prison Administration. The project is very large, with specific security requirements, and Citrus Solutions appreciates the professional cooperation with all partners involved in the project."
The prison has space for 1 200 prisoners. The construction of the prison is scheduled to be completed by September 2025. The size of the prisoners' cells will meet international standards with the necessary equipment. The new prison will have facilities for education, employment and a medical section with adequate equipment. The new prison will have different internal processes from other prisons, as it is the infrastructure that determines the processes of transporting, monitoring, guarding and securing prisoners. The new prison will make extensive use of the benefits of technology in the areas of surveillance, security and safety. The new prison is expected to have 450 staff. Unlike existing prisons, a larger number of staff will be involved in the resocialisation process.
A total of 6095 cubic metres of concrete was used in the foundations of the new prison buildings. The buildings are being constructed from prefabricated concrete and metal blocks, a total of 12 510 such blocks will be used for the buildings, 80% of which are manufactured in Liepāja. More than 2 kilometres of the total 4 kilometres of external networks have now been built. Special solutions are being used in the construction to facilitate the work of prison staff in the future and to reduce the risks associated with prisoners' unauthorised activities. The engineering networks are constructed in compliance with specific security requirements tailored to the specific features of the prison. During the initial phase of the project, prototype versions of the prisoners' cells were constructed and equipped on site, tested and inspected to ensure that all materials and technical solutions provide maximum security and longevity.
Further information:
On 22 November 2022, SIA "Tiesu namu aģentūra" and the winner of the tender SIA "Citrus Solutions" signed a contract for the design, supervision and construction of a new prison complex in Liepāja. On the basis of the decision of the Tender Committee, the contract was concluded for a total amount of EUR 125 874 569,87, excluding VAT. The Liepaja Prison Complex will be the first newly built prison in Latvia after the restoration of Latvia's independence.
