Georgia, Tbilisi, Feb. 4 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
Currently, the number of inmates in Georgia is 23,300, Corrections and Legal Assistance Minister Khatuna Kalmakhelidze said in parliament.
At the joint meeting of parliamentary committees on human rights and legal issues, Kalmakhelidze briefed the MPs with details initiated in connection with the amendments on the long-term meeting. She was asked to specify the number of prisoners.
Kalmakhelidze said information about the number of prisoners is public and the statistical office publishes it.
"Any other numbers that are called in this context have been exaggerated," she said.
Under the bill, persons kept in the closed prison cannot have a long-term meeting, except persons sentenced to life imprisonment. Also, those prisoners who are in quarantine or serving a disciplinary penalty also will not be able to take advantage of this.
Prisoners kept in the open-type prisons, will twice a year have a long-term meeting, and one more as encouragement. Juvenile offenders can take advantage of this three times a year, and in case of encouragement, four times. The meeting will last 24 hours and will be paid.
Parliamentary Speaker David Bakradze initiated Kalmakhelidze's calling to parliament.