A prisoner escaped from a work site in Târgu Jiu but was apprehended approximately one and a half hours later

A prisoner from Târgu Jiu Prison unjustifiably left a permanent work site in the city on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and was apprehended approximately one and a half hours later, about two kilometers away. The man was serving a one-year sentence for theft and was held under an open regime.

The incident was discovered between 4:45 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., when the prisoner left the GAZ work site in the municipality of Târgu Jiu. The management of Târgu Jiu Prison immediately ordered personnel to be alerted, search teams to be formed, and access routes along possible travel directions to be blocked.

Prison officers participated in the operation, while the authorities cooperated with the Gorj County Police Inspectorate, the Gorj County Gendarmerie Inspectorate, and the Territorial Inspectorate of Border Police. At 6:55 p.m., a prison team identified and captured the prisoner in the western area of the city.

Administrative checks were initiated at the detention facility to establish the exact circumstances of the escape and order the legal measures. Leaving the work site is equivalent to the offense of escape, for which the law provides a prison sentence of between six months and three years.