Newsroom
Prison overcrowding in Cyprus has dropped significantly, falling from 70% to 27% over the past year, the Justice Ministry said Monday.
The ministry attributed the improvement to the addition of three new detention facilities, which created 240 new spaces and increased the system’s total capacity to 860.
In a statement responding to recent reports about conditions at the Central Prisons and figures from Eurostat’s 2023 report, the ministry said it is moving ahead with the construction of a new prison wing. The expansion, planned within the broader prison complex, will add another 360 spaces. Design plans have been completed and approved, and the Department of Public Works has issued a public tender. The contract is expected to be awarded by June, with the project slated for completion in early 2028.
The ministry said the current administration inherited the prison system in March 2023, when the overcrowding rate stood at 70%. At the time, there were 620 available spaces but more than 1,000 inmates, a number that was steadily rising.
“With the construction of the new wing, capacity will nearly double to 1,200, offering a long-term solution to the overcrowding problem,” the ministry said.
It added that the creation of additional spaces for both pre-trial detainees and convicted prisoners has already reduced the need to house them in police holding cells by 75%. This, the ministry said, eases the burden on law enforcement and aligns with longstanding recommendations from international and European bodies.
“Prison issues, especially overcrowding, remain a top priority for the Ministry of Justice and Public Order,” the statement said. “We are taking firm, practical steps to resolve a chronic problem once and for all.”
