Lithuania to use Norwegian aid for prison upgrades

Lithuania plans to invest most of €36 million in Norwegian funding over five years to modernise prison infrastructure in Vilnius and Kaunas, while the remaining money will go toward improving prison operations and probation services, the Justice Ministry said.

An agreement on the Justice program is expected to be signed in December, with implementation scheduled to begin in early 2027 and continue through 2030-31.

The ministry said €25.4 million would be allocated to prison infrastructure. The funding will be used to equip 160 cell-type detention places at Vilnius prison and 50 at Kaunas prison, as well as upgrade 41 prison security and supervision posts.

Another €8.2 million will go toward improving prison operations, including training staff in a holistic security model and modern working methods at prisons in Panevėžys, Marijampolė and Kaunas.

The plans also include introducing advanced electronic monitoring to track the movement of convicts and psychoactive substances, and upgrading the penal system’s information system.

Probation services will receive €2.4 million to develop a pilot reintegration centre based on a “one-stop shop” model, introduce digital alerts to warn crime victims when people who harmed them are nearby, and provide electronic monitoring equipment capable of detecting psychoactive substances. The funding will also support staff training.

The program envisages new resocialisation programs for vulnerable groups of convicts and greater involvement by nongovernmental organisations.

Deputy Justice Minister Martynas Dobrovolskis said particular attention would be paid to staff skills, resocialisation, probation effectiveness and modern technology.

“Our goal is to create a safer, more modern system that promotes human integration into society,” he said in a ministry statement.

Lithuania will implement the program in cooperation with the Norwegian Correctional Service Directorate. The two countries have worked together for years to modernise the penal system, strengthen rehabilitation and reduce reoffending.

Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė discussed progress in these areas with her Norwegian counterpart, Astri Aas-Hansen, last week.

Last December, then-Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas signed memorandums covering €118 million in funding allocated to Lithuania by Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. At the time, €54 million was earmarked for civil protection programs and €55.7 million for justice programs.

The three donor countries use the funding to reduce economic and social disparities and strengthen bilateral relations with 15 EU countries in Central and Southeastern Europe and the Baltic states.