Prisons in Bavaria are Filling Up Again: Over 9,600 Individuals in Custody
As the COVID-19 pandemic starts to wane, Bavaria's prisons are showing signs of fullness once more. According to figures from the end of October, 9,658 prison spots were occupied in the state. Compare this to the average of 9,032 occupants in 2021 and 2022, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice in Munich clarified to Deutsche Presse-Agentur when inquired. The lower occupancy during these years was deliberate, intended to make room for quarantines and such. However, occupancy has been steadily climbing since then.
Bavaria houses 36 prisons and 6 youth detention centers, totaling 11,922 available prison spots. Although prisons are seeing an uptick in occupancy, the state still has ample room. The Bavarian prison system is utilizing the current low prisoner numbers to minimize occupancy in communal areas and house the inmates mainly in solitary confinement, according to the ministry.
Males account for the vast majority of prisoners (9073) compared to women (585). Two-thirds (6304) of the incarcerated are serving sentences, including 43 men held in preventive detention due to the gravity of their crimes after serving their actual prison term. A further 3,087 individuals were in pre-trial detention at the time of reporting, along with 158 men and women pending deportation. 141 people were still minors.
The inmates were most recently imprisoned for a multitude of reasons, with crimes against people being the largest category. This includes assault, manslaughter, and murder, accounting for 1,643 individuals. Theft and embezzlement (1,083) and other property offenses (798) followed closely behind. Sexual assault and rape accounted for 577 individuals behind bars.
Further Reading:
- The Bavarian Ministry of Justice in Munich, part of Germany's Justice Ministry, provided information to the German Press Agency regarding the rising occupancy rates in Bavarian prisons.
- Post-pandemic, Bavarian prisons are experiencing a higher occupancy rate, with 9,658 individuals in custody as of October 2022.
- Although the occupancy has increased, Bavaria still has available prison spots, with a total of 11,922 across 36 prisons and 6 youth detention centers.
- Over 9,000 of those in custody are men, while women make up just over 500.
- Various types of crime can be found within Bavarian prisons, with crimes against people being the main offenses, including assault, manslaughter, and murder.
- As the occupancy of prisons continues to increase, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice is utilizing this opportunity to reduce the use of communal areas and house inmates primarily in solitary confinement.
Source:
[1] The pandemic has led to rising occupancy rates in various care homes across Europe. However, specific data on prison occupancy rates in Bavaria is not covered in this article. You would need to consult official reports from the Bavarian justice system or relevant governmental resources to discover information on this topic.
