On the occasion of Armistice Day, the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić awarded the Silver Medal of Merit to the Penal Sanctions Enforcement Administration of the Ministry of Justice for its contribution to curbing the spread of COVID-19.
The Administration’s Director, Dejan Carević said that the Medal received was a sign of recognition of the Administration as an institution on which Serbia could rely in the most difficult times. He thanked all employees across the penalty enforcement system for their hard work and great commitment since the beginning of the pandemic.
Director Carević also expressed his gratitude to convicts who had demonstrated a high degree of solidarity, patience, and loyalty to their country, as well as the desire to contribute personally to the fight against this vicious disease. He noted that convicts serving their sentences in several penal correctional institutions (PCIs) across the country (Sremska Mitrovica, Niš, Zabela and the PCI for women in Požarevac) already in March had begun to sew face masks for employees and persons deprived of their liberty in all other PCIs. Initially, convicts used to sew up to 6,000 masks per day, with about half a million items of personal protective equipment (masks, suits, shoe covers and head covers) having been produced to date by the PCI in Sremska Mitrovica alone. This production is still ongoing.
Currently, there are no convicts or detainees placed in PCIs who are infected with COVID-19 owing to the strict adherence to prevention measures aimed at curbing the spread of the disease and preserving the health of these persons.