With the help of the Norway grants, Latvian Prison Administration purchased chairs which were created a 100 years ago in the territory of the current Riga Central prison under Pauls Rudolfs Rubis management.
Rudolfs Rubis was a talented craftsman, honourable statesman and reformer, who during the time of first independence after becoming the Director of Prison Department, completely changed the model for prisoner employment by implementing the progressive sentence execution system – creating various prison workshops, thus providing the prisoners with an opportunity to learn and develop their skills in different crafts. This best practice example by Latvia was later adapted also in other countries.
These historical chairs have regained their visual look with the help of furniture restorer Aigars Pilenieks, who, having received an offer to restore chairs of unknown author from an individual, later found out that the author of the design of these chairs was none other than Rauls Rudolfs Rubis.
And now the restored chairs will serve as a unique historical acknowledgement for the way of imprisonment system development. Chairs will be placed in the new Training Centre building, which is currently being built with the support of the Norway grants.
More on Pauls Rudolfs Rubis can be found in this article: https://www.delfi.lv/news/national/resocializacija-nenoversies-atbalsti-iesaisties/darbs-dara-daritaju-jeb-ieslodzito-nodarbinatibas-ka-resocializacijas-lidzekla-100-gadu-attistibas-cels.d?id=53346059
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You can learn more about the Norway Grants 2014-2021 period programme by visiting www.norwaygrants.lv
The Latvian Prison Administration project "Establishment of Training centre infrastructure and model prison blocks for training opportunities in the Olaine prison territory" No. 1-6.4/2-2019 is implemented within the framework of the Norway Grants 2014–2021 period programme "Correctional Services".