Will New Prisons Be Built? - Zhoghavorrd

The government has decided to close the ‘Nubarashen’, ‘Goris’, and ‘Yerevan-Center’ (known as the ‘KGB basement’) correctional facilities. According to Justice Minister Artak Zeynalanyan, the building conditions of these facilities do not meet human rights protection standards. He stated that at this moment, only one new building is planned for the ‘Yerevan-Center’ prison, while ‘Goris’ and ‘Nubarashen’ will continue to operate in their old buildings for the time being.

After these announcements from the justice minister, serious discussions have begun regarding the construction of the new prison building, according to the ‘Zhoghavorrd’ newspaper. Specifically, there have been views that building a new facility under these circumstances is simply unnecessary. This issue could be resolved differently, as correctional facilities are currently underloaded. It would be more effective to allocate the funds meant for the construction of the new building to better organize the employment of inmates in the existing prisons.