The Justice Ministry is planning a new prison at Agios Sozomenos with room for at least 1,500 inmates, to tackle overcrowding in the long term, according to draft plans presented to parliament’s Finance Committee.
The draft, presented with the ministry’s 2027 budget, includes four detention wings, a medical unit, education facilities and sports grounds. One million euros has been set aside for the project in next year’s budget.
Justice Minister Costas Fytiris described it as a “development project” and said studies by the relevant services were still awaited. The location has not been finalised, and he has promised to present the plans to the affected municipalities to hear their views.
A model shown to the committee sets out four detention wings, marked A, B, C and D, on either side of a central line of facilities. These include the administration building and central management, a reception and visiting area, and facilities for education, workshops and rehabilitation programmes.
The design gives particular prominence to the medical unit and a football pitch, which also serves as a sports ground. It also includes a Christian chapel and a Muslim prayer room.
For security, the draft includes a main entrance gate with security checks, a perimeter security road, walls and watchtowers. Staff and visitor parking lies outside the walls, while technical and maintenance services, water tanks and utilities are inside.
The ministry also plans to open recruitment of prison guards to European citizens and to introduce incentives to attract suitable staff, as part of its plans for staffing and better training.
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