Governments across the bloc are reportedly considering cutting sentences and relocating inmates abroad
Prison overcrowding is reaching crisis levels across the EU as rising inmate populations outstrip available space in many countries, Spain’s El Pais reported on Monday. In response, some governments are reducing sentences for low-risk offenders and exploring controversial plans to relocate foreign prisoners abroad, according to the outlet.
Recent data from the Council of Europe shows an increase from 93.5 inmates per 100 places in January 2023 to 94.9 in January 2024, affecting about one-third of bloc members. Notably, Slovenia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Romania and Belgium each operate at over 113 inmates per 100 places.
The problem has prompted some nations to consider outsourcing their prisoners, El Pais noted. Denmark and Sweden are among countries exploring agreements to send inmates to prisons in Kosovo and Estonia, respectively.
The plan has drawn controversy as many of the relocation plans target incarcerated foreign nationals, who are often overrepresented in prison populations, particularly in Belgium, France, and Sweden. Governments tend to view these inmates as more easily transferrable amid growing political pressure over rising crime and migration.
However, similar initiatives by Belgium and Norway previously proved ineffective, Hugh Chetwynd of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture warned, citing legal mismatch and monitoring challenges. These types of experiments “aren’t going to solve the problem; they’re just exporting it,” he said, adding that the new projects are even more complicated due to differing legal standards and languages. Chetwynd also questioned restrictions on prisoner return after sentence completion: “It seems more like a political measure to try to find a quick solution to two problems: overcrowding and the issue of foreigners.”
As the idea of cross-border inmate transfers gains traction, it has also sparked local backlash. In Estonia, hundreds of residents have signed a petition protesting a government proposal to lease prison space to house inmates from Sweden. The Baltic country had announced the plan last year as a way to raise revenue, but the move has drawn opposition from locals in the city of Tartu, where the facility would be located.
