Government plans major prison reforms to tackle crime and overcrowding

The government has initiated sweeping reforms for the Central Prisons following persistent problems plaguing the correctional facility, officials said on Monday.

According to Phileleftheros sources, the planned measures target three key areas: combating crime orchestrated from within prison cells, solving the overcrowding problem, and implementing administrative reforms.

In an effort to address longstanding issues at the facility, which has previously been identified as a breeding ground for criminal activity, authorities have intensified controls and tightened supervision procedures at the Central Prisons, measures that have produced initial results.

Although the situation remains problematic, the government believes progress has been made that will help effectively manage the situation in the coming period.

Sources indicate that actions are being taken to radically restructure the Central Prisons at all levels, aiming to decisively address a range of problems related to illegal activities by criminal elements, overcrowding, and administrative issues including lack of cooperation, incompetence, and corruption.

The involvement of convicts or remand prisoners in illegal activities related to organised crime is well-documented, as evidenced by various cases before the courts, as well as testimonies and information obtained by authorities.

Since 2023, prison inspections have intensified to identify problems and find necessary solutions.

Emphasis was placed on identifying security gaps that allowed the introduction of mobile phones and SIM cards into the Central Prisons, used primarily by inmates serving long sentences to plan and execute crimes through associates outside prison.

Besides mobile phones and SIM cards, drugs are the number one contraband in demand at the prisons, with inmates devising numerous methods to obtain them.

Investigations have revealed that prohibited items or substances are smuggled into the prison during visits from relatives, friends, and occasionally lawyers, as well as by some prison guards.

Drugs and phones have also been procured during prisoner transfers from other locations. There have also been attempts to smuggle drugs into the prison using drones or with balls and boxes thrown into the prison yard from the buffer zone.

Most drugs, phones, and SIM cards are found in inmates’ cells, which is why cell inspections have been intensified.

MOBILE PHONES AND SIM CARDS CONFISCATED AT CENTRAL PRISONS

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