One of the important changes envisaged by the amendments is that persons sentenced to longer prison sentences may not be released on probation before they have served two-thirds of their sentence. Under the existing provisions, conditional release may be granted to convicts who have served one half of their sentence.
Life imprisonment will not be introduced as under the proposed amendments convicts sentenced to the maximum sentence of 40 years in prison would not be conditionally released before they have served 30 years.
Justice Minister Vesna Skare Ozbolt said the amendments would make it possible to impose the harshest prison sentence, in the duration of 40 years, on all adults starting from the age of 18. Under the existing legislation, the required age is 21.
Under the amendments, conditional sentences would not apply to the gravest criminal acts, or would apply only exceptionally. Violence against or murder of a police officer would be considered the gravest crime and would be punished with prison sentences ranging from 10 to 40 years.
The government proposed harsher sentences for corruption and the confiscation of property acquired through organised crime.
The government also discussed a report submitted by the State Inspectorate on the employment of children and minors. In the period from the beginning of 2005 to September 15 this year, the State Inspectorate discovered 165 such cases, it is noted in the report. The report was drafted following the discovery of illegal child employment in the Medjimurje region, where three children drowned on their way home from work last year.
The government also adopted a regulation establishing an institute for telemedicine, which will be in charge of coordinating activities in telemedical treatment and diagnosis.
The government also adopted a protocol on cooperation between Croatia and Serbia on the reconstruction of the Erdut-Bogojevo railway bridge, a project worth 700,000 euros. Croatia's share in the investment will be secured from a donation by the Belgian and Norwegian governments.