97 of 142 Jelgava Prison Employees Retained Jobs After Closure
After the closure of Jelgava Prison, 97 out of 142 former employees continued working in other units of the Latvian Prison Administration, while 24 ended their service.
The Latvian Prison Administration (IeVP) has provided details on the employment situation following the closure of Jelgava Prison on June 30. Of the 142 staff members, including five medical professionals, 97 have been transferred or continue their duties in other units of the administration. Priority was given to retaining employees within the system by offering them alternative positions.
Service relationships were terminated with 24 officials, citing reasons such as reaching retirement age, end of service term, or reduction of positions. Decisions regarding the remaining former employees are still being made on a case-by-case basis.
The prison closure is part of a broader reform of the incarceration system led by the Ministry of Justice, aimed at transitioning to a more modern and secure penalty enforcement system. The new Liepāja Prison, which has taken in 242 inmates from Jelgava, allows the state to phase out outdated facilities and use resources more efficiently. The last inmates were transferred from Jelgava to Liepāja on June 27.
The new prison in Liepāja has capacity for 1,200 inmates and consists of six buildings covering over 37,000 square meters. Later this year, inmates from Daugavpils are also scheduled to be moved there. The Jelgava prison buildings have been handed over to the municipal government for its functions.
