​A team from the Ombudsman's office has been inspecting one of the largest prisons in the country, Reç in Shkodra, for three days.

​Today, the Ombudsman himself, Endrit Shabani, accompanied by the Commissioner for the Prevention of Torture, Ahmet Prençi, visited this institution. They saw the conditions of the prison up close, and held talks with the prisoners and the prison staff.

​In a statement to the media after the visit, the Ombudsman emphasized the facts that, although Reç Prison is a new structure, it continues to suffer from the old shortcomings of the system, which fails to provide genuine rehabilitation services to the prisoners.

"Convicted persons cannot remain trapped in the web of criminalization. They must have the opportunity to follow social and educational programs that make their return to society acceptable," said Shabani.

Referring to the complaints and cases of deaths in the Institutions for the Execution of Penal Decisions (IEVP), the Ombudsman called for immediate investments in infrastructure.

According to him, this would guarantee more humane conditions and real health services, both for the convicted persons and for the officers and employees of these institutions.

Endrit Shabani also focused on the practical implementation of the amnesty law, denouncing a bureaucratic loop that is penalizing prisoners.

"We regret to note that, despite our initial observations, there are prisoners who are not benefiting from the amnesty even though they meet the criteria. This is only because their court decisions have not been made public within the deadlines. This is a great injustice to them and their families," the Ombudsman stated.

The inspection of the Reç prison will continue tomorrow. At its conclusion, the Ombudsman Institution will make public all the official findings and recommendations.