News item | 04-12-2024 | 17:28
The prison system is heading towards a code black situation this week. This means that all prisons and police stations no longer have room to place new arrestees or detainees. This makes it unavoidable to send detainees 3 days before the end of their sentence.
Ingrid Coenradie, State Secretary for Justice and Security: “I am really sick of this, but it is the only way to continue to place detainees and perpetrators. And that, to me, is the most important thing. That if you commit a crime or are suspected of doing so, you will be arrested and detained. That is crucial for our rule of law.
I have done everything I can to prevent prisons from becoming full. To find extra capacity and come up with other solutions. This was partly successful, but my toolbox is now empty. I simply have no other choice.”
3 days and longer
For the time being, detainees are allowed to leave prison 3 days earlier. This measure makes room for new detainees. Everyone is eligible for early deportation, except detainees with a sentence of up to 7 days and detainees who have subsequently been sentenced to TBS. This measure is temporary and will be used for as short a time as possible for as few detainees as possible.
It is inevitable that in the foreseeable future the number of days in which detainees are allowed to leave early will increase. This requires an amendment to the Regulations for Temporarily Abandoned Institutions (Rtvi).
More cell capacity needed to impose stricter sentences
The fact that cells are full is due to longer sentences and an increase in TBS patients and young adults in the prison system. The shortage is even greater due to planned necessary renovations.
The government wants stricter penalties. To do that, more cell capacity is needed. Therefore, options are being explored to install emergency units at existing prison complexes, reopen closed prisons and rent cells in Estonia.