Social media row over the 62.08 euro daily cost of keeping a prisoner in Latvia
A figure on prisoner upkeep published by Latvian Justice Minister Edvards Smiltēns has caused outrage on social media. The minister cited it to show that probation costs the state far less than imprisonment.
On the social networks TikTok and Facebook, users in Latvia are debating a figure given by Justice Minister Edvards Smiltēns (AS): keeping one prisoner in prison costs the state 62.08 euros per day. The number has become a point of contention, as some users take it as proof that the state looks after offenders too generously.
What social media users claim
Some commenters assert that the entire amount is spent every day on feeding a single prisoner. They express anger that inmates are apparently fed as if in a restaurant. For comparison, they point to the state family benefit for one child, which is only 25 euros per month.
Why the minister released the figure
Smiltēns published the information with a different aim: he wanted to stress that probation is considerably cheaper for the state than imprisonment. The Ministry of Justice was thereby also preparing for the World Probation Congress, which will take place in Riga in 2028. The ministry describes it as an ambitious event. At the congress, Latvia will be able to learn about the experience of other countries and present what it has achieved in probation.
Reaction
After the information spread on social networks, comments included reproaches that the state cares too much about lawbreakers. The sum cited by the minister covers the upkeep of a prisoner as a whole, and the claim that it is meant only for food is an interpretation by social media users.
