In the last five years, 18 inmates have managed to escape from the prisons of the Republic of Moldova, and there have been eight other escape attempts. The data was provided by the National Prison Administration (ANP), in response to an information request made by the IPN news agency.
According to the ANP, in 2025 there were five escapes, the most in the last five years. The cases occurred in Prison No. 9 Pruncul, Prison No. 1 Taraclia, Prison No. 8 Bender, and Prison No. 13 Chisinau. Also, since the beginning of this year, an escape attempt from Prison No. 18 Branesti has been recorded.
The data for the year 2024 indicates two escape attempts – from the No. 18 Brănești prison and the No. 6 Soroca prison, as well as an escape at the No. 2 Lipcani prison.
In 2023, an escape attempt was reported at the Brănești No. 18 penitentiary, as well as two actual escape cases. One inmate fled from the Cricova No. 4 penitentiary, and three other juvenile convicts escaped from the Goian No. 10 penitentiary.
In 2022, there were two escape attempts recorded at Penitentiary No. 15 Cricova and Penitentiary No. 6 Soroca. That year, no escapes were reported.
In 2021, there was an attempted escape and two successful escapes. At Penitentiary No. 10 Goian, three minor convicts managed to scale the guard buildings, while another inmate escaped from Penitentiary No. 4 Cricova.
In the year 2020, there was an attempted escape from Penitentiary No. 6 Soroca, and three escapes – one from Penitentiary No. 4 Cricova and two from Penitentiary No. 9 Pruncul.
According to the ANP, all escaped prisoners have been apprehended and returned to their penitentiaries, with the exception of two individuals: a convict who escaped on May 16, 2025, from penitentiary no. 8 Bender, and a woman who escaped on June 5, 2025, from penitentiary no. 13 Chișinău. Both individuals are currently being sought.
In the response provided to the IPN agency, the National Administration of Penitentiaries also clarified the situation of the nine life-sentenced convicts who have been released. Six of them were set free according to the Amnesty Law, while in the case of three other individuals, the courts mistakenly applied articles from the Penal Code. These decisions were appealed, and two individuals were repeatedly incarcerated. The third person is currently being sought.
The penitentiary system in Moldova remains vulnerable to structural problems, acknowledges the National Penitentiary Administration. In the 17 detention institutions, living conditions for detainees and working conditions for employees are frequently criticized by international organizations. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture has reiterated recommendations regarding detention conditions, cases of aggression, and lack of medical assistance.
At the same time, the staff shortage in prisons significantly affects safety. A single employee ends up supervising over 50 inmates during the night, reports ANP. Currently, according to the most recent data, nearly 5,800 people are serving their sentences in Moldovan prisons.