Estonian and Swedish officials have signed an agreement to lease prisons that will allow the transfer of several hundred Swedish prisoners to prisons in southern Estonia, ERR News reports.
The regulations approved by the Estonian parliament in June will allow up to 600 Swedish criminals to serve their sentences in the currently half-empty Tartu Prison, thus easing the situation in overcrowded Swedish prisons. The Estonian Ministry of the Interior said that Sweden will pay at least 30.6 million euros annually to maintain 300 places for prisoners.
Liisa Pakosta, Minister of the Interior and Digital Affairs of Estonia, and Rikard Jermsten, Director General of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, signed a memorandum of understanding on the lease of prisons on the 5th of August. They both stressed that this is a historic agreement that has never been achieved before in the world. The minister said that Estonia started discussions on the vacant places in prisons several years ago, and at that time it was decided to choose the least bad of the options, preserving local jobs and experience, which would benefit Estonia’s internal security. Pakosta added that such Estonians help another NATO country, and in a way make the region safer, because criminals do not respect national borders, and a problem in a neighboring country is also an Estonian problem.
The memorandum of cooperation includes agreements on practical issues
affecting daily living conditions in Tartu Prison, including the use of nicotine products, the condition of cells, clothing and communication channels.
Estonian officials have supported the agreement, as it will help to preserve the operation of Tartu Prison, maintain the capabilities of the Estonian Prison and Probation Service and create hundreds of jobs.
The first Swedish prisoners are expected to arrive in August. Their number will gradually increase until the number of 600 prisoners mentioned in the memorandum is reached. They will arrive in Estonia by plane and will be immediately transferred to Tartu Prison under armed escort. All transferred prisoners will be jointly selected by Estonian and Swedish authorities, and each prisoner’s transfer will be approved by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. All transferred criminals will be male, serving long prison sentences for violent or drug-related crimes. All related costs will be covered by Sweden.
Sweden will pay 30.6 million euros annually for the first 300 prison places, and from the 301st place in prison, each prisoner will be paid 8,500 euros per month. If full capacity is reached, i.e. 600 prisoners, the annual payment will be 61.2 million euros. The amount will be indexed by 3.5% each year.
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