Lukiškės Prison

Lukiškės Prison (Lithuanian: " Lukiškių tardymo izoliatorius kalėjimas") is a prison in the center of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, near Lukiškės Square. It houses approximately 1,000 prisoners and employs around 250 prison guards. [lt icon cite web| url=http://www.delfi.lt/archive/article.php?id=12689971 |title=Lukiškės: prižiūrėtojams blogiau nei kaliniams |publisher=Delfi.lt | first=Ruslanas |last=Arbušauskas |date=2007-03-30 |accessdate=2008-04-21] Most of the prisoners are placed under temporary arrest awaiting court decisions or transfers to other detention facilities, but there is also a permanent prison with about 180 inmates; about 80 of them are sentenced for life.lt icon cite web| url=http://www.kalejimudepartamentas.lt/getfile.aspx?dokid=DB3A6BB7-7AE0-4AE4-B8D4-03CE7728F8C1 |title=Kalėjimų departamentui prie Lietuvos Respublikos teisingumo ministerijos pavaldžių įstaigų vystymo strategija |accessdate=2008-04-21 | publisher=Prison Department of Lithuania]

The prison was built in 1904, during the times of the Russian Empire. At the time it was one of the most technologically-advanced prisons in the empire. It had central heating and water supply, modern plumbing and ventilation. The complex also includes Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church. After more than a century of continuous service, the prison suffers from overcrowding and is in need of investment in thorough improvements. The prison is located in a prestigious area, next to the Seimas Palace. Discussions about relocating it have continued for several years, but the process is slow and is estimated to be completed by 2011.

The prison became infamous during World War II. In June 1941, after the Nazi invasion of the country, the NKVD (Soviet secret police) massacred several prisoners at Lukiškės Prison (see NKVD prisoner massacres).pl icon cite web | first=Bolesław |last=Paszkowski |date=March 2005 |url=http://www.moto.gda.pl/strona.htm?id=454 |title=Golgota Wschodu |publisher=Moto |accessdate=2008-07-12] Then during the Nazi occupation the prison served as a holding cell of Jews, selected from the Vilna Ghetto for executions at Ponary (Paneriai). [cite book | title=Hitler's Death Squads: The Logic of Mass Murder |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=hRufKvqUkaAC&pg=PA66&sig=ACfU3U0ZowcA7ZgzO_7n-J_hDUoRWYM6tg |first=Helmut |last=Langerbein |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=2003 |pages=66–68 |isbn=1585442852 ]

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