The freedom that begins in prison
In the Smrekonica Correctional Center, convicts prepare for life outside prison.
|2025.10.27
Ardian Zena, 43, travels over 180 kilometers to his workplace outside the Smrekonica Center every day. Photo: Ferdi Limani / K2.0
Around 90 convicts are serving their sentences at the Smrekonica center. Photo: Ferdi Limani / K2.0
The rehabilitation of prisoners in preparation for life after prison is a key feature of the Scandinavian model, which views imprisonment as a deprivation of liberty, but not of dignity or opportunities. Photo: Ferdi Limani / K2.0
Convicts who cannot work outside the Smrekonica Center are engaged in work within the institution. Photo: Ferdi Limani / K2.0
“Every convict in this institution is one step away from freedom. They see it with their eyes.”
Faton Rexhepi, prison guard.
Besian Beha
Besian Beha is a journalist at Nacionale. With eight years of experience, he has worked for various online media and the public broadcaster RTK. He has received a number of journalism awards for his coverage of transitional justice and women’s empowerment in the workplace. Besian is a fellow of the fifth cycle of K2.0’s fellowship program.
This story was originally written in Albanian.
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