Some prisons in Romania formerly housed political prisoners, both during successive dictatorships of 1938–1944 and during the subsequent Communist regime. As of 2016 there are 45 prisons under the control of the Ministry of Justice, housing about 27,600 prisoners.
| Prison | Image | Opening/Closing date | City or Town | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiud Prison | 
|
Constructed in the 1800s | Aiud, Alba County | The prison is operated by the Ministry of Justice. |
| Bright Light (CIA) | Bucharest | The prison is operated as a black site by the Central Intelligence Agency. | ||
| Doftana Prison | 
|
1895 to about 1945 | Doftana, a village in Telega commune, Prahova County | "The Romanian Bastille": housed communist political prisoners and others |
| Gherla Prison | 
|
1785 | Gherla | Maximum security prison |
| Jilava Prison | Converted from a fort in 1907 | Jilava commune, Ilfov County | The prison was created from a converted fort built by Carol I of Romania. Adrian Nastase, former Prime Minister of Romania, was held in Jilava prison for 8 months of a 2-year sentence. | |
| Pitești Prison | 
|
about 1942–1952 | Pitești | Political prison: scene of abusive re-education practices 1949–51 |
| Râmnicu Sărat Prison | 
|
1901-1963 | Râmnicu Sărat | Political prison both before and during the Communist regime |
| Sighet prison | 
|
1897: is now Sighet Memorial Museum | Sighetu Marmației | Held political prisoners in the early part of the Communist regime |
| Târgșor Prison | Built in 1857 for a monastery, it was converted in 1882 into a prison | Târgșoru Nou, Ariceștii Rahtivani, Prahova County | From 1948 to 1952, it held children and political prisoners; it now serves as a women's prison | |
| Name | Image | Date | Place | Description |
References
- World Prison Brief, Institute for Criminal Policy Research
- Mutler, Alison (18 March 2013). "Former Romanian PM is freed from prison". The San Diego Union-Tribune. AP. Retrieved 2 April 2013.