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Sweden has reached an agreement with Estonia to house up to 600 inmates in rented prison cells in the Baltic country in a bid to alleviate its prison overcrowding crisis.
The deal, which was confirmed on Wednesday by Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, will allow Sweden to rent 400 cells in the prison in Tartu in the south-eastern part of Estonia.
“Sweden and Estonia have reached an agreement that will significantly relieve the burden on the Swedish prison system,” Strömmer said.
The cost of a prisoner in Estonia is estimated to be €8,500 per month, excluding costs for transport to and from Sweden. In Sweden, the cost is around €11,500 per month.
The entire prison will be made available to Sweden and Estonian law will apply on site, according to the agreement. Swedish prison staff will be on the ground to train Estonian guards.
Differences in the legislation on prison sentences in the two countries have been analysed.
“Estonia is bound by the same international commitments as Sweden and there is established cooperation between the countries in the area of criminal law,” a statement from the Swedish Justice Ministry read.
Certain exceptions have been agreed, so that the experience will be similar to that of a Swedish prison sentence, the ministry added.
Who will be sent abroad?
Whether an inmate can be sent to Estonia to serve their prison sentence will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Broadly speaking, only men over the age of 18, who have been convicted of serious crimes such as murder or sexual offences will be considered for transfer.
They must not be considered to pose a major security risk.
Those with an extensive need for care or who are deemed to pose a higher security risk, for example those convicted of terrorist crimes, crimes against national security or who have links to serious organised crime, will not be eligible.
Wave of crime
Renting prison places abroad was a key component of the Tidö Agreement, the government agreement for the Swedish coalition between the Sweden Democrats, the Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals following the 2022 elections.
The aim was to remedy the shortage of places in Swedish prisons, caused by a stream of inmates arising due to gang crime escalating in recent years.
This trend has resulted in the Nordic nation topping the rankings of deadly gun violence per capita in Europe.
Sweden and Estonia negotiated the deal this spring. An investigation concluded that there are no legal obstacles in either the Constitution or the European Convention against renting prison cells abroad.
The agreement is expected to be signed in mid-June. Meanwhile, legislation that makes it possible to place convicted persons in Estonia is intended to come into force on 1 July 2026.
However, legislative changes must be approved by Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, where a qualified or three-quarters majority is required.
