The U.S. Government and UNDP will support the Ministry of Justice and its subordinate institutions - the National Prison Administration (NPA) and the National Probation Inspectorate (NPI) - to digitize the offender file management system and ensure its interoperability with other informational systems from the justice and health sector institutions. This will increase accountability, efficiency and transparency in the prison and probation systems of the Republic of Moldova. 

Support will be provided under a new project "Support digital transformation of corrections system from Moldova", with a budget of approximately US$1.94 million dollars, provided by the U.S. Department of States’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL). The project will be carried out until January 2027 and will be implemented by UNDP Moldova. 

"We highly appreciate the support of the U.S. Government and UNDP Moldova, which are reliable partners of the justice sector. A year ago, we launched a project aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Justice to promote justice sector reform. Today, we are initiating another project that will help us digitize the processes within the corrections system - a priority of the institution I lead, especially now in the context of the EU accession negotiations. A fully digitized justice system will ensure access to justice and enhance transparency. It will also help prevent corruption, reduce undue interference in the administration of offender’s files, and streamline work," highlighted Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, Minister of Justice, at the signing ceremony on 10 October 2024. 

"The U.S. Government is committed to partnering with Moldova to strengthen justice systems capacity,” said Daniela DiPierro, Chargé d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy in Moldova. “This project will not only enhance the efficiency of Moldova's corrections system but also improve the lives of people involved in the system. Our goal is to foster an environment where technology supports the justice process, ensuring that every individual is treated fairly and equitably within the system."

The project will support the correction system by developing modern technology that contains all the information (health data, vocational training/probation programs attended, etc.) about each offender or subject of probation, from the moment of entry into the penitentiary system as well as during the period of resocialization and reintegration. 

"In partnership with the U.S Government, we will support the Ministry of Justice to advance digital transformation of the corrections system, which will contribute to a more effective, secure, and transparent operations and, ultimately, to the delivery of justice. The file management system for both prisons and probation will be modernized, which will enable more tailored interventions to facilitate the social reintegration of offenders," said Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

In addition to implementing the new IT solutions, the project will also support capacity building by helping to improve the digital skills and competences of the NPA and NPI staff, depending on their role, level of authorization and access to the system. The institutions involved in this digitization process will also be equipped with the necessary equipment and technology.

Another component of the project is the development of a modern digital human resources management system for the penitentiary system. Key aspects of the career development of prison staff, from recruitment to termination of service, will be managed within a single electronic system. Specific attention will be focused to the peculiarities of the status of the personnel within the penitentiary system, such as advancement to special grades, the retirement system, the organization of working time, but also the enrolment and evaluation of professional activity, to ensure transparency and a uniform recruitment approach.