Skopje, 9 September 2025 (MIA) -- The state will establish state-run prison farms as part of the criminal punishment system for inmates to do farmwork and develop agricultural skills that may help them readjust to society after being incarcerated.

Under a new agreement signed Tuesday, the state will provide agricultural land to prisons and vocational training to prison inmates, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy said in a press release.

The memorandum of cooperation was signed by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Cvetan Tripunovski and Aleksandar Pandov, the acting director of the Directorate for Execution of Sanctions.

In line with the memorandum, the two institutions will cooperate on the prison agricultural program. 

Doing farmwork is expected to help inmates in their rehabilitation and reintegration once they are out of custody. "This initiative is an important step in their resocialization process," the release said. mr/