History of the Prison

The prison building was officially opened on 4 December 1932. At that time, the facility included 95 cells, of which 71 were solitary confinement cells, two dungeons, and a special hospital ward. The prison operated until 1955, when it was closed. The premises were transferred to the Ministry of the Interior and used as storage facilities.

In 1969, the Ministry of Justice decided to establish a Ružomberok Prison, which became operational on 1 April 1972. Initially, it housed juvenile sentenced prisoners, who were relocated to the newly built Sučany Prison. Between 1976 and 1990, the prison held sentenced prisoners classified in the first and second correctional groups. In January 1990, following the political and social changes, the prison was reprofiled to serve sentenced prisoners in the second and third correctional groups. As part of their work assignments, prisoners participated in major infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Váh River waterworks. A significant year for the institution was 2004, when it was reprofiled into a remand prison and prison for sentenced prisoners. In 2010, it was again transformed into a facility exclusively for the imprisonment of sentenced prisoners.

The Present

The current capacity of the Prison for Sentenced Prisoners in Ružomberok is 378 prisoners, classified under medium and maximum security levels in differentiation groups “B” and “C”.

The prison complex consists of an administrative building, the prison section (accommodation), a production hall, and garages. Its primary mission is to ensure the enforcement of the rights and obligations of sentenced prisoners in a differentiated manner, while supporting and fostering their sense of responsibility, law-abiding behaviour, positive personality traits, respect for others, and strong family ties. To enhance the effectiveness of treatment for specific categories of prisoners, in addition to standard units, the prison also operates specialized units – a specialized treatment unit, a closed unit, and a high-security regime unit. Psychological and social work interventions are provided when needed.

The prison participates in the national project Chance for Return II, whose main objectives include resocialization, the development of key competencies, and the active reintegration of individuals in adverse social situations into society and the labour market. The project also aims to improve access to social services, reduce the risk of social exclusion, and enhance the prospects for successful reintegration.

Several interest groups operate within the prison, focusing primarily on sports and creative activities. Prisoners also have access to a prison library, which includes both domestic and foreign literature. The library currently holds over 2,810 titles of various genres.

Beginning with the 2025/2026 academic year, the prison will provide vocational education to prisoners in cooperation with the United School in Ružomberok, offering a three-year study programme in meal preparation.

As part of the treatment process and in line with the purpose of imprisonment, prisoners are assigned to work or engage in activities that contribute to their personal development. The prison currently employs prisoners at supervised external workplaces, internal workplaces, and in-house operations. On average, 170 prisoners are employed, with an employment rate of over 60%. They mainly perform auxiliary construction work, agricultural work, small assembly jobs, and tailoring. Services and products of the prison's auxiliary operations are provided to other legal or natural persons based on written commercial contracts.

Prison Personnel

The treatment of sentenced prisoners is ensured by professional staff, consisting of members and employees of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard. The prison currently employs 205 prison officers. Of these, 125 hold a full secondary education diploma, 13 hold a first-level university degree, and 67 hold a second-level university degree. In recent years, the prison has seen a significant rejuvenation of staff, and the average age of prison officers has decreased to 40 years.

Social Programme

As part of its social programme, the prison operates service flats for both prison officers and employees. In addition, a gym is available to support the physical fitness of staff. A transit accommodation facility in Vlašky is also available to staff. It has undergone partial renovation in recent years and now provides full-fledged recreational lodging for members and employees of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard from across Slovakia, as well as for international visitors. The prison also operates short-term accommodation within the administrative building. This is used by staff from Ružomberok Prison and by personnel from other prisons who require temporary lodging for duty-related purposes or leisure activities. The prison strives not only to improve the conditions for service performance but also to support the social wellbeing of staff and their families.

International Cooperation

Ružomberok Prison has maintained long-standing professional and friendly relations with prisons in the Czech Republic, specifically with Příbram Prison and the České Budějovice Remand Prison. This cooperation provides valuable experience and facilitates the exchange of information for staff working with incarcerated individuals.