SPPH warns that the proposed law raises a number of questions about risk assessment, staff shortages, and funding for a facility intended to house convicts after they have served their sentences.
The Croatian Judicial Police Union (SPPH) has strongly reacted to the government's proposal for the Law on the Treatment and Accommodation of Persons After Full Execution of Prison Sentences, which was sent to public consultation on August 3, 2026. While they do not question the need to protect society from the most serious offenders, they raise a key question: who will assess, and on what basis, that a person still poses a very high risk to the community even after serving their sentence?
The impetus for the legislative changes was the murder of a young man in Drniš, committed by Kristijan Aleksić, who had already been convicted of murder. The new legal framework, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, introduces for the first time a mechanism for dealing with individuals who have fully served their prison sentences but are assessed as still dangerous.
SPPH emphasizes that the prison system is already facing a chronic shortage of staff, not only judicial police but also professional services. "How will additional psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other experts be secured for the new system? Who will provide security for the new facility?" the union asks. If security tasks are to be carried out by judicial police, they insist that this be clearly regulated, including status, powers, responsibilities, training, and the organization of 24-hour operations.
They find it particularly concerning that funding for the "cold operation" is already being planned, even though there are no answers to basic questions about location, construction, and timelines. They remind that more than five and a half years have passed since the earthquake of December 29, 2020, and reconstruction is still not fully complete. As an example, they cite the Sisak Prison, which has not been closed but has not been fully renovated either.
According to the proposal, the facility would need at least 14 employees to start operations, and it is estimated that initially five users would be accommodated there. For 2027, €300,000 is planned for employment, with the assumption that ten people would be hired starting July 1. From the beginning of 2028, €720,000 per year would be needed for the salaries of all 14 employees. For material and operational costs, €200,000 is planned for 2027, and €480,000 annually from 2028 onwards.
"A law is not a building, and a financial plan is not a functional system," SPPH stated. "We don't need more announcements and another project that will remain on paper for years. We need people, facilities, clear powers, and a system that actually works."
The new law envisions the establishment of a special facility under the authority of the Ministry of Health. It should not resemble a prison or a psychiatric institution, but rather focus on rehabilitation and the gradual reduction of risk. At the same time, it would have a strict security regime, including controlled entry and exit, video surveillance, visitor logging, and special protocols for crisis situations such as escape attempts, violence, or hostage crises.
The process would begin six months before the end of the sentence, when the prison or penitentiary would be required to submit a risk assessment report to a special Commission. The court would then review the need for continued placement every 18 months.
SPPH warns that it is crucial to define who bears responsibility for the assessment before the law is adopted. "If the prison system does not identify an increased risk before release, the person is released, and then commits a serious crime-who is responsible for the assessment?" the union asks, reminding that they have been waiting for the new Law on Judicial Police since 2018.
