Estonia to house Swedish prisoners under €600m contract

Estonia has signed a contract with Sweden that will bring hundreds of Swedish prisoners to underused Estonian jails, a move intended to make use of empty capacity in Estonia while helping Sweden relieve severe overcrowding in its prison system. The agreement, valued at €600 million, covers 400 cells with capacity for up to 600 inmates.

Practical changes and staffing ahead of transfers

At the prison in Tartu, guards and managers have already prepared cells to meet Swedish requirements: two televisions per cell (one for each occupant), headphones, blinds and other items aimed at greater comfort. Estonian prisoners who had been held in Tartu were moved to other facilities to make room for the newcomers, and additional prison staff have been hired.

The facility’s warden described the preparations and the funding arrangement in practical terms: "The Swedes pay for the Swedish prisoners. We just want to get started, receive the first prisoner and be the best at our job," she explained.

Estonia, a country of about 1.3 million people, faces the opposite problem to Sweden and the UK: it has spare prison capacity and limited numbers of domestic inmates. Renting cells to another state gives it revenue and helps offset costs; officials note the money is welcome as Estonia increases defence spending amid tensions with Russia.

Officials say the first Swedish transfers are expected within weeks. Sweden will secure 400 cells under the deal, providing space for as many as 600 prisoners. The arrangement follows earlier talks between Estonia and the United Kingdom during a previous British government about hosting some UK prisoners, but London ultimately abandoned the plan and Sweden took the contract.

Estonian Justice Minister Lisa Pakosta commented on the earlier British discussions: "I think that if discussions had continued, British prisoners would already be in Estonia by now. In fact, it takes a relatively short time to reach an agreement when it's between countries with similar positions," she said. The minister added that Estonia has no plans to sign further leasing deals now that the agreement with Sweden is in place.

Photo: BONEKphoto / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia