As the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, I believe that our responsibility is not limited to managing day-to-day issues. Our responsibility is to look ahead, to identify and rationally plan the resolution of problems that have accumulated over decades, and to create the infrastructure that will serve society long after our term in office has ended.
It is with this philosophy that we are also approaching the major reform of the Republic of Cyprus’s correctional system. We did not choose the easy path, but rather the difficult one of great responsibility. We chose to tackle an issue that everyone had recognized for decades, but no one had taken the initiative to resolve once and for all.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The quality of a state governed by the rule of law is judged not only by the laws it enacts, but also by the way it applies the principles of justice in practice. It is judged by its ability to guarantee the safety of its citizens, protect human rights, and at the same time create the conditions for a more cohesive society, less crime, and more opportunities for reintegration.
This is precisely what is truly at stake in the reform we are promoting in the correctional system of the Republic of Cyprus. For many years, the Central Prisons have operated under conditions that reflected the accumulated weaknesses of decades. Overcrowding, outdated infrastructure, the limited ability to segregate different categories of inmates, and the growing needs of a modern correctional system made it clear that piecemeal interventions were no longer sufficient.
Faced with this reality, the government of President Nikos Christodoulides chose to take responsibility for making difficult decisions—not to postpone the problem to the future. Not to limit itself to managing day-to-day affairs. But to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive solution that will serve the country for decades to come. The creation of the new Correctional Institution of the Republic of Cyprus is one of the most significant institutional and infrastructural initiatives in the justice sector. This is not merely a construction project. It is a strategic investment in security, the rule of law, and social stability. Our goal is not to simply move existing prisons from one location to another. Our goal is to create a modern correctional complex, designed in accordance with European standards and the real needs of our time, which will allow for the effective segregation of inmates. At the same time, it will feature educational, work, and vocational training facilities, provide health and psychosocial support services, and create the necessary conditions for meaningful reintegration. Prison is not merely a place to serve a sentence but also an institution of the rule of law.
Society has the right to demand safety. However, it also has a duty and a vested interest in reintegrating people who can return to society as productive and responsible members. A person who acquires skills, education, and a sense of purpose during their incarceration is far more likely to follow a different path in life after their release. And this benefits society as a whole.
Reform also concerns the people who serve in the correctional system every day. Correctional officers and all prison staff perform an extremely demanding job, often under difficult conditions. A modern state must provide them with safe facilities, better tools, training, and modern working conditions so that they can effectively carry out their mission.
We know that a project of this scale cannot be completed overnight. It requires studies, environmental assessments, urban planning procedures, competitive bidding, and institutional approvals. Transparency and legality are not obstacles but prerequisites for success. At the same time, however, we cannot allow bureaucracy to become an excuse for inaction.
That is why we are working on two fronts simultaneously. The first concerns the present—improving existing conditions, addressing overcrowding, and promoting immediate solutions to critical issues, such as the management of juvenile offenders. The second concerns the future, which involves creating a new correctional model that will meet the needs of the Republic of Cyprus for the coming decades. The selection of the Agios Sozomenos area as the proposed site is being considered with full respect for institutional procedures and a commitment to meaningful dialogue with local authorities and affected communities. We want to listen to concerns, evaluate well-documented suggestions, and create the best possible conditions for the project’s implementation.
However, we must be honest with the public. The need for a new, modern correctional facility cannot be continually postponed. The cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action, and our responsibility to future generations demands that we move forward.
Often, when we discuss a project of this scale, the first question concerns the financial cost. It is a perfectly legitimate question. Citizens have a right to know where public funds are being invested and what the added value is of every major government investment. The real question is not how much it costs to build a modern correctional facility, but how much it costs society to maintain a system that has been operating for years under the pressures of overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and limited reintegration opportunities.
Every delay comes at a cost—operational costs for the state, security, justice, correctional system employees, and ultimately a cost to society itself.
Investing in modern infrastructure is not an expense without return. It is an investment in public safety, in reducing recidivism, in the proper functioning of the justice system, and in the protection of human rights—an investment that will serve the country for many decades to come.
For this reason, the Government is moving forward with an unwavering commitment to transparency, the sound management of public resources, and ensuring the best possible cost-effectiveness at every stage of the project. Every euro invested must translate into real value for citizens and a correctional system befitting a modern European state.
It is our duty to take the first decisive step, to correct the distortions that have accumulated over the years, to address problems that have remained unresolved for decades, and to build the infrastructure needed by the society of tomorrow.
The success of a responsible government is judged not only by what it can manage today, but by what it secures for the future of the rule of law for coming generations. In this effort, no one is expendable! Everyone must do what their position requires of them—“each according to his station.”
