Estonia to lease prison space to Sweden
Estonia and Sweden have announced plans to transfer Swedish prisoners to Tartu Prison, two-thirds of which currently stands empty. Up to 600 low-risk inmates are to be accommodated there, which will secure 400 jobs, Estonian Justice Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta explained. Sweden was actively looking for ways to expand its prison system capacities, Pakosta's Swedish counterpart Gunnar Strömmer told reporters.
Neither gulag nor Guantánamo
Postimees warns of potential damage to Estonia's image:
“We shouldn't get fond of the idea of becoming a Nordic forced labour camp. ... The Estonian justice system and prison network should not have to fulfil tasks arising from the problems of other countries. Mass immigration has led to major problems with maintaining public order in our neighbouring country, which the government there now wants to solve by imposing harsher penalties. But if Sweden has developed a deficit in its prison system over the years, it should find its own solutions. Estonia must not play the role of a 'Guantánamo' for other countries.”
Learning from each other is good - but not among inmates
Õhtuleht sees positive aspects to the agreement:
“The project certainly has advantages that go beyond the rental income. Swedish prisoners would come here with abundant experience of a prison system that conforms to the rules of a welfare state. This will allow Estonia to learn how to rehabilitate people for their return to society as well as possible. At the same time, the background of these people needs to be clarified. ... We also need firm guarantees that we are not setting up an international college for criminals where people from different countries can share their experiences. In other words, there should be no contact with Estonian prisoners.”