On March 12th, 2025, on the occasion of the annual presentation of the Romanian Penitentiary Administration’s strategic plan to the Minister of Justice, Pedro das Neves, CEO of IPS_Innovative Prison Systems, was invited as an international speaker. During the event, he took the opportunity to present a token of appreciation, celebrating two decades of cooperation between IPS and the Romanian Penitentiary Administration in the modernisation of prison services.
The event, led by Dan Halchin, Director General of the Romanian Penitentiary Administration, and attended by Minister of Justice Radu Marinescu and other high-level penitentiary officials, focused on presenting the Penitentiary Administration’s Annual Report to the Minister of Justice.
In his speech, Pedro das Neves reflected on the long-standing partnership between IPS and the Romanian penitentiary system. He spoke about the shared efforts to introduce best practices from across Europe, the work undertaken in Romanian penitentiaries across the country, and the key role of this partnership with the Romanian Penitentiary Administration.
Pedro das Neves praised the remarkable progress made by the Romanian penitentiary system over the years. He highlighted improvements in detention conditions, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, technology adoption, and social dialogue between prison staff and administration. He commended Romania’s development of in-house technological solutions for inmate services, despite limited resources, as well as the stability in leadership, which has been instrumental in achieving these advancements.
Acknowledging achievements, looking to the future
Despite the significant progress, he also acknowledged the challenges ahead, particularly the high prison population. “We have seen that the number of inmates remains very high. Building more prisons alone will not be enough—additional efforts are needed to address this issue structurally,” he noted.
However, he expressed optimism for the future, noting the commitment and enthusiasm of the new generation of prison professionals. “Yesterday, I had the chance to meet some of your colleagues, and I saw fresh energy, committed leadership, and a strong belief in the strategy you have outlined. This gives me great hope for the future.”
He then presented the token of appreciation to Director General Dan Halchin, symbolising the shared achievements and the commitment to further collaboration between IPS and the Romanian Penitentiary Administration, setting the stage for future innovations and reforms in the sector.
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