Sweden Leverages Estonian Prisons to Alleviate Overcrowding Crisis

To tackle its overcrowded prisons, Sweden has announced an agreement to send up to 600 convicted criminals to serve their sentences in an Estonian facility. Starting July next year, Swedish inmates will be housed in Tartu's prison, aiming to alleviate domestic pressures exacerbated by strict sentencing laws.

Sweden is set to alleviate prison overcrowding by relocating up to 600 inmates to an Estonian facility, under a new government agreement unveiled on Wednesday. This plan, effective next July, targets individuals over 18 convicted of serious crimes, with a focus on easing domestic incarceration pressures.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer explained, "The whole prison will be placed at Sweden's disposal," as Sweden's correctional facilities face unparalleled strain. This strategic move serves as an expansion plan to manage the increasing prison population.

Financially notable, Sweden will pay 8,500 euros monthly per inmate, compared to the domestic cost of 11,500 euros. This initiative follows heightened gang-related violence and stricter legal frameworks, inflating incarceration rates. Similar international arrangements have been made in Belgium and Norway, while Denmark's engagement with Kosovo has stirred controversy.

(With inputs from agencies.)