The courts and public prosecution have two important functions within the security sector. The first is to combat crime by means of prosecution and punishment of criminal offenders. The second is judicial control over executive actors in the security sector.

Prisons should be ‘safe places’; there should be no riots and escapes, and should not be a places to plan or commit criminal offences. The situation in Serbia, however, does not meet these requirements, as will be shown below.

Private security companies (PSCs) in Serbia have been active since the early 1990s. PSCs fall under the category of non-state actors authorised to use force. It is estimated that these companies today employ between 20 and 60 thousand people in Serbia.