The Hungarian Prison Service showed dedication, expertise, discipline, and legal compliance in performing its duties last year - said László Tasnádi, State secretary for Law Enforcement at the Ministry of the Interior, in a meeting to evaluate last year's achievements and this year's challenges at Budapest Remand Prison Venyige Street Unit on 20 January.
The staff meeting began with a report by Brig. Gen. János Schmel, Deputy to the Director General responsible for security and incarceration, which was followed by a welcoming speech by Maj. Gen. Tamás Tóth, Deputy General to the Director General.
Lt. Gen. András Csóti, Director General, evaluated last year's activities, described the latest achievements, improvements and problems, and spoke about the main tasks and aims for this year. He stressed that the Prison Service had performed all of its legally required duties and that prisoner intake, housing and catering processes had been safe, legal and up to the professional standards in 2015. Progress is being made in increasing prisoner employment and decreasing overcrowding. The 2015 budget was balanced.
The Director General described some significant changes in the organization's activities in 2015: on January 1st last year the new Prison Service Code had entered into force, followed by legislation on a new law enforcement career path on July 1st. He also mentioned that there had been no incidents last year which would have threatened public law and order at any of the institutions. Total staff headcount increased by 250, to 8350 on December 31. In order to keep up with the requirements of increasing prisoner employment, a 10% increase in staff headcount is targeted for 2016, which would allow for full prisoner employment by the end of this administrative term.
András Csóti explained that in 2016 the organization aims at keeping up its high professional standards while making progress in its prison construction and prisoner employment projects, improving staff retention and recruitment, building technology to allow for electronic meetings and interviews, and facilitating the social integration of former prisoners. Finally, the Director General thanked the staff for their outstanding performance and dedication in 2015.
László Tasnádi, State secretary for Law Enforcement at the Ministry of the Interior accepted the Director General's report on the Prison Administration's 2015 activities, thanked the organization for its work in 2015, and congratulated on the achievements. He explained that 2015 had been a particularly challenging year for the Prison Service because of the increased workload due to the migrant crisis, which the organization managed expertly. The State Secretary warned that 2016 would not be without challenges, either, but encouraged all staff to continue with the excellent work. He also praised the unprecedented cooperation between the various branches of law enforcement, which followed from the pressure increased migration placed on all institutions.
