Problem
Current System
In Romania, 4 out of 10 people who leave prison come back within a few years. A vicious cycle where we punish, release, punish again — and learn nothing.
APAC model
In the APAC system, only 13–15% reoffend. A proven model in 50+ countries, recognised by the UN and the World Bank. The difference: post-detention responsibility.
What are we building?
A center where you do something with your time.
The APAC-type Cluj Transit Center is a transition center where men in the final years of their sentence learn to live normally through work, education, and autonomy.
Penitentiary Unit
ZONE A • 5 HA • 100 PLACES
- Rooms with 2 beds and en-suite bathroom
- Production workshops
- Greenhouses for farming
- Education and counselling spaces
Facilities Support
ZONE B • 3 HA
Humanitarian logistics hub (HACCP standards), vocational training center, incubator for social start-ups.
01. Institutional partner
NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF PENITENTIARIES
Retains legal authority, security and enforcement of sentences. The facility remains public. The state keeps its authority role without being burdened by management.
02. The Private Partner
Prison Fellowship Romania
Fully funds construction, runs the educational programs and workshops, and provides post-detention support. The engine of change.
03. Safer Romania
Maximum efficiency
We bring together the best of both: respected state monopoly, NGO efficiency in rehabilitation, modern infrastructure without public investment.
Measurable objectives
Not promises. Concrete targets.
Decreased recurrence
Employment rate
Inmates per year
Why does Romania need this project?
A reoffender costs the state hundreds of thousands of lei in repeat detention, trials and victim damages. Investment in reintegration costs infinitely less and produces productive citizens.
Every recovered person means a family saved, children who don't grow up without a parent, and one less victim in the future. We break the cycle of criminality inherited across generations.
How can you help?
Join the movement for restorative justice.
Project Status
Concept & Approvals
ANP partnership signed
Concept & Approvals
ANP partnership signed
Construction
Execution of works
Opening
100 places available
"In 30 years, I never thought I'd see a prison where inmates genuinely want to change. I saw it at APAC. If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed it."
— ANP inspector, after study visit
Isn't it too "comfortable" for the prisoners?
We are not building a hotel. Compulsory labor, strict rules, humane treatment. It is a school of responsibility, not a vacation.
Does APAC really work?
YES. 50+ years, 50+ countries, recidivism rate below 15%. Special recovery program recognized by UN, World Bank, EU.
When will the first center be ready?
Target: 2028. Depends on approvals and funding. With your help, it can be faster.
Why should I donate? Isn't it the State's job to build prisons?
The state administers the punishment, we build rehabilitation. The state provides security (ANP), but the investment in construction and change programs come from private funds. Your donation doesn't "help a thief," it invests in your safety: we transform a tax consumer into a tax-paying citizen.
Can they really support themselves? Is work mandatory?
Yes. Work is mandatory. Detainees produce in workshops or work externally. Part of the money covers the center's costs, and the rest is deposited into a "freedom fund." Thus, upon release, they have money for rent and food, eliminating the main reason for recidivism: immediate poverty.