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Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Estonia shows off prison cells awaiting Swedish inmates
TARTU, Estonia, July 30 (Reuters) - Estonia showed off some of the many empty cells in its Tartus prison on Wednesday as officials outlined how they would implement a proposed agreement for Sweden to send up to 600 inmates to the facility from late next year. The inter-governmental deal, which has yet to be approved by either country's parliament, is one of many plans worldwide to tackle prison overcrowding - a critical challenge in a third of European countries according to a report published this month. With around 600 of 933 places in Tartu Prison vacant, officers showed journalists around the facility, completed in 2002, as part of efforts to promote the idea locally as well as to the public across the Baltic Sea in wealthier Sweden. Sweden will pay 8,500 euros a month per inmate in Estonia saving on the average 11,500 euros a month cost in Sweden. Estonia will make its own checks of prisoners selected to be sent to Tartu, and will have right to send prisoners back, said Rait Kuuse, head of Estonian Prison and Probation Service. "We don't take those who are organisers in organised crime networks, who adhere to radical extremism," he said. Some people in Tartu, Estonia's second biggest city after the capital Tallinn, believe the scheme will bring jobs and a boost for the economy while others fear a negative effect on the local community, he said. Certain prisoners would be excluded from transfer, Martin Gilla, Head of Office for International Affairs at Sweden's Prison and Probation Service told Reuters. "We will not send juveniles, we'll not send women. That's one thing that we have come up with. We will also not send people that have been convicted for the worst crimes as well and have high risks," he said. Estonia is one of the few European countries to have recorded a drop in its incarceration rate, which declined 12% last year from 2023, while Sweden, where gang-related violence has increased, recorded a 15.5% rise over the same period. The rate, published in the report by the continent's leading human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, records the number of prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. Gilla said Sweden, which had a prison occupancy rate of 141% in May, was increasing capacity and has considered options such as prison barges, but that idea was eventually dropped. At Tartu, the prison interior was painted in bright yellow and violet, with wooden furniture and bunk beds. There were art and music rooms and Knuse said inmates would have access to tablets for videocalling their families at home. Issues still to be resolved include rehabilitation programmes, challenges related to visiting by family and friends, and assuring the right to exercise religion. The plans are among many such ideas in the region. Belgium and Norway have in the past hired prison places in the Netherlands, while Denmark signed a deal with Kosovo in May 2024, a move criticised by Danish human rights experts. Finland appointed a working group in November to look into the possibility of renting prison places abroad.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU states battle prison overcrowding
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.
Irish Times
25-07-2025
- Irish Times
Transgender prisoner held in ‘squalid, dungeon-like' conditions
A transgender prisoner was found in squalid conditions in a 'dungeon-like' unit of Limerick Prison , said an anti-torture report. The Council of Europe 's Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) said the inmate, who it referred to as Prisoner X, was kept in near total isolation in the High Protection Unit of Limerick Men's prison with minimal access to natural light and ventilation. The CPT report did not name the prisoner, but it is understood to be a Brazilian named Barbie Kardashian who at the time of the inspection in 2024 was the only transgender prisoner in the custody of the Irish Prison Service. The Kardashian case has caused controversy in the past due to her history of violent offending and concerns about the threat she poses to other inmates and staff. READ MORE In early 2023, she was jailed for 4½ years for threatening to torture, rape and murder her mother. At the time, Leo Varadkar , then taoiseach, said violent biological males should not be housed in women's prisons. Kardashian was initially held in Limerick Women's Prison where she was accused of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a fellow woman prisoner and a prison officer in 2023. She was transferred to Limerick Men's Prison following a directive from then minister for justice Helen McEntee. Last year, she was acquitted of threatening the woman prisoner and prison officer, but remains in the men's prison serving the remainder of her original sentence. Kardashian (25) is housed in the High Protection Unit on the D1 wing of the prison where inmates who require special protection are kept. Others on the wing include Jonathan Dowdall, the former Sinn Féin councillor who gave evidence against Gerry Hutch. In its report, the CPT described the High Protection Unit as 'dungeon-like' and said it is concerned about a number of prisoners who are held on 22-hour lock-up and 'hence were in a situation of de facto solitary confinement'. The committee said it was 'particularly struck by the situation of a transgender woman' who was 'living in squalid conditions with minimal access to natural light and ventilation.' She is kept in her cell for 23 hours a day, it said. At the end of their visit, the committee members made an 'immediate observation' that the inmate should be placed in a better cell. She should be given more time out of her cell and 'a meaningful regime of activities', it said. In a document responding to the recommendations, the State said the prisoner was able to use 'all services available within the prison'. It said work is ongoing to refurbish D1 wing of the prison. Elsewhere in its report, the CPT was highly critical of the overcrowding affecting most Irish prisons which has resulted in mentally ill prisoners and a pregnant inmate having to sleep on the floor. It was particularly critical of Cloverhill Prison in Dublin where inmates are subject to a 'degrading regime', including squalid cells shared by up to four men sleeping on mattresses on the floor. 'Taken together, this situation, in the Committee's view, may well be described as inhuman and degrading treatment.' The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) called the findings 'harrowing' and called for the State to urgently ratify the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).
The Journal
24-07-2025
- The Journal
Unreasonable force by prison officers and falsified records at Cloverhill Prison, report finds
A REVIEW OF the treatment of prisoners in Ireland by Europe's human rights watchdog has highlighted two cases in Cloverhill Prison in Dublin where inmates were improperly subdued with excessive force. Its report from Ireland details how the flow of drugs in Irish prison, along with extreme and record levels of overcrowding , is creating a dangerous and difficult working and living environment for staff and inmates. A team frmo the Council of Europe visited five prisons in Ireland last year – Castlerea, Cloverhill, Limerick (male and female), the Dóchas centre and Mountjoy Prison High Support Unit - as part of ongoing reviews into the treatment of prisoners internationally. Serious incident complaints, known in the Irish Prison Service as Category A complaints, were filed to management in both cases at Cloverhill, so that the conduct of the officers could be reviewed. One of these accusations had been upheld at the time of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture's visit last year. Its subsequent report notes that, in two separate incidents, officers were seen 'jumping on the heads' of inmates. Experts conducting the review had serious concerns over the treatment of prisoners and deaths which have taken place at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin in recent years. During one incident in July 2023, a prisoner was being restrained by a number of officers 'in a relatively peaceful manner' at Cloverhill when another officer intervened in the restraint and proceeded to 'jump on the head' of the man in the yard of the prison. A review of the CCTV footage reportedly shows the officer pulling and holding the head of the prisoner, according to the Council of Europe report. The prisoner later alleged that 'unnecessary and unreasonable force was used' to bring him into the prison and that he put into a 'guillotine' hold. He claimed that he received injuries to his torso, back and to the upper part of his spine during the ordeal. An investigation into the incident only upheld that unnecessary and unreasonable force was used to remove him from the yard. Members of the torture prevention committee have voiced concerns as two of the officers involved in the incident were kept in 'direct contact' with prisoners throughout the investigation into the Category A complaint. Advertisement Inmate allegedly 'kicked and punched in cell' In a separate case at the same prison one month before, an inmate claimed he was forcibly placed into his cell before officers allegedly 'kicked him and punched his body, while he was prone on the ground'. The prisoner was being relocated to a different wing of the prison, when he alleged he was beaten in the landing, and accused one of the officers of attempting to strangle him and drag him by his hair. He alleged that he began bleeding from his mouth and his nose before he was moved again, punched and then verbally abused. The investigation into the incident had yet to conclude at the time of the Council of Europe's visit. However, internal documents and CCTV footage relating to the incident was reviewed as part of the Council of Europe's investigation. Its report states that the footage 'appeared to suggested that unnecessary and disproportionate force may well have been applied'. It added: 'CCTV coverage shows that a prison officer jumps on the head of the prisoner [...] pulling his head down and puts the prisoner on the floor.' The Council of Europe has recommended that Cloverhill management have an increase in presence in detention areas and staff 'demonstrate increased vigilance' in their direct contact with prisoners. It has also called for effective investigations of complaints made by prisoners and improved staff training, including a transparent selection procedure and restraint training. In its response, the Irish government said: 'The Irish Prison Service engage with and supports prison management and in particular those staff with the HR portfolio in the implementation of the Disciplinary Code. 'Ongoing support is also provided to management and staff in regard to the implementation of the Disciplinary Code,' it added. It also said that, in order to 'ensure greater visibility' of senior members of prison staff on landings, 'arrangements are being put in place to provide Chief Officers with administrative support'. Deaths at Cloverhill The Council of Europe also reviewed the deaths of four prisoners, which took place between 2020 and 2023, that it believes were preventable. Two of these fatalities happened at Cloverhill Prison. Both deaths took place in close supervision cells, designed to for prisoners who are a danger to others or are disruptive, in the opinion of prison management. One man, who died in April 2021, had been placed in the cell the day before after he was accused of concealing illegal drugs internally. He had not been reviewed by healthcare staff, the report states. Related Reads How does Ireland's prison overcrowding crisis compare to other European countries? Court escorts for prisoners at risk due to overcrowding, Irish prisons boss warns Fears within prison service that prison overcrowding increasing risk of violence and rioting The torture prevention committee had 'serious reservations' around the quality of internal documents relating to all four deaths. A logbook for the wing shows that the prisoner was asleep between 9.10pm the night before and 8.30am the morning of the death, but another prison officer claimed to have attended the cell between 9pm and 2am after the man activated a bell. The report said: 'The Committee finds it incongruous that one prison officer can set out that he attended a cell several times during the night, and yet another prison officer records in the CSC book that every 15 minutes during the night the prisoner was checked and was asleep.' The prisoner was found dead when the cells were unlocked in the morning on 27 April 2021 and that rigor mortis was noted, 'clearly indicating that he had been dead for some time before he was found'. 'Deeply troubled by the falsification of records' Another prisoner was found dead on the morning of 10 August 2022. He had been placed in a closed supervision cell 'because he was mentally ill, rather than because he had been disruptive in the prison', the report said. Documentation details that the man had no had anything to eat or drink for 48 hours before his death. The report said it is 'deeply concerned' that there was no care plan for the man, 'who was clearly mentally ill', had not eaten and was placed in the cell. Similarly to the case before, the logbook was also not reflective of the morning's events. A review of the document found that it said the cell belonging to the man was checked every 15 minutes for almost 30 minutes after he died. The report said the entries were clearly 'made in advance of him being found dead'. It said that the committee was 'deeply troubled by the falsification of records by prison officers'. It has recommended that a review be conducted into the procedures following the deaths of prisoners in Irish prisons so that documents such as autopsy reports and accurate time sheets are included in an inmate's file. It also recommended that analysis be undertaken of each death to identify general lessons that can be learnt from the incidents. In its response, the Irish government said it has begun the work to fulfil some of the review's recommendations. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
24-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Serious problems remain in Irish prisons, report finds
Serious problems remain in Irish prisons, according to a new report. The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture found that while certain reforms have been implemented, there continues to be pervasive overcrowding, worsening safety levels in men's prisons and inadequate mental healthcare in Irish prisons. The Committee for the Prevention of Torture visited five prisons, as well as at the Central Mental Hospital, the Oberstown Children Detention Campus and the Ballydowd Special Care Unit, last year. They noted a number of positive developments since their previous visit in 2019, including improvements to prison infrastructure, less use of segregation, greater scope for temporary release and the virtual eradication of "slopping out" practices. However, the committee called on the Irish authorities to take concrete actions to address a number of critical issues. They found that physical safety in male prisons had deteriorated sharply. The report found that violence between prisoners was widespread and allegations of prisoner abuse by staff had increased since 2019, particularly in Cloverhill and Limerick Prisons. The committee said it received several allegations of excessive force being used by staff during operations to control, restrain and relocate prisoners. The report said what was equally concerning was a pattern of preventable deaths in custody, notably among prisoners suspected of concealing drugs inside their bodies, and a lack of reviews to prevent such tragedies from recurring. Overcrowding also remains a chronic issue, with many single or double cells packed with three or four inmates, "sometimes in squalid conditions". The report found that prisoners held in restricted segregation for protection reasons were often spending up to 23 hours a day locked in their cells, which the CPT said may amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. The committee also found that the provision of mental healthcare in prison remains critically deficient and underlined that prisons are fundamentally inappropriate places for people with severe mental illness. Regarding children and young adults, the report found that Ireland lacks sufficient capacity in special care units, resulting in prolonged detention for young persons awaiting appropriate placement. It found that reintegration efforts for young offenders were undermined by the absence of step-down or temporary release programs. Responding to the report, the Government welcomed the acknowledgement of progress on operational reforms but acknowledged that the country was experiencing significant challenges with regard to prison capacity. It said a number of steps were taken to address the issue, including legislation to increase the use of Community Service Orders and Restorative Justice referrals. It said 134 new prison spaces had been delivered since last year and a further 100 would be added this year, with the programme for Government promising to increase capacity by 1,500 in total. The Government said the Irish Prison Service would take steps to address the issues raised by the report and seek to implement its recommendations where possible. "Irish authorities have provided a detailed response outlining how they intend to address the recommendations made by the Committee in each of the areas covered by the report, including prisons, children's establishments and the Central Mental Hospital. "The Committee will be engaging in constructive dialogue with the Irish authorities on these matters going forward," the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture said.
