LONDON (Agencies): The British government is considering renting prison space in Estonia to address overcrowding in UK jails, according to a report by The Telegraph. The Ministry of Justice is exploring the possibility of sending some prisoners to Estonia, where the low crime rate has left prisons half empty. This move could generate significant revenue for Estonia, estimated at €30 million ($33 million) annually.
The UK prison population is projected to rise significantly, with numbers expected to reach between 93,100 and 106,300 by March 2027. Recently, men’s prisons in England and Wales nearly ran out of cells, with only 83 spaces remaining.
UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Estonian Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta were set to discuss this potential arrangement at a Council of Europe event in Vilnius, Lithuania. However, concerns have been raised about the potential high costs, including flights and the deployment of British prison staff abroad. Additionally, there are questions about whether taxpayers would need to cover the costs for family visits to Estonia.
Some former senior judges in England and Wales have suggested alternative solutions, such as the early release of certain offenders, to alleviate the overcrowding crisis. They propose releasing prisoners serving minimal sentences and those who are elderly, terminally ill, or suffering from dementia.
Despite these considerations, British officials are wary of the potential expenses, especially compared to the high costs of housing prisoners in the UK. The cost of building a new prison in England and Wales is approximately £600,000 per prisoner, while housing a prisoner costs nearly £50,000 annually. In contrast, the cost in Estonia is significantly lower, ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per prisoner.