Estonian parliament ratifies prison rental agreement with Sweden
The Riigikogu approved the agreement allowing up to 600 Swedish inmates to serve sentences in Estonia, with the first transfers expected in August.
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At its sitting on Wednesday, June 10, the Riigikogu ratified the agreement between Estonia and Sweden that authorises the transfer of up to 600 prison inmates from Sweden to Estonia to serve their sentences. The agreement aims to relieve Sweden's overcrowded prison system while filling empty beds in Estonia's declining inmate population.
Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee Madis Timpson explained that the number of inmates in Estonia has been steadily falling, yet the cost of maintaining prisons remains high. "Leasing out prison places will enable Tartu Prison to remain in operation, ensure that internal security jobs are preserved in the region, create new jobs, and bring in at least EUR 30–60 million in contractual revenue to the state budget. The agreement offers a solution to the temporary overload of the prison system in Sweden," Timpson said.
Under the agreement, Estonia will accept Swedish inmates and enforce their sentences in Estonia. The arrival of inmates is planned to take place gradually so that Tartu Prison has time to prepare. The first Swedish inmates are expected to be placed in Tartu Prison in August. In total, the agreement allows up to 600 inmates to be transferred.
The agreement sets out rights and obligations, sentence enforcement, prison conditions, cost distribution, and supervision. Estonia will only accept prisoners who meet specific criteria, with security risks identified in cooperation between the Police and Border Guard Board, the Estonian Internal Security Service, and the Ministry of the Interior. Foreign inmates will be sent back to Sweden at least one month before the end of their sentence and released there.
The agreement was signed in Stockholm in June last year. The Swedish parliament ratified it on June 3. It will enter into force on the thirtieth day after both countries have completed necessary national legal procedures and notified each other in writing. The Riigikogu also passed amendments to national law needed to implement the agreement.
