Sweden's Prison Space Rental Deal: Hundreds of Cells from Estonia Amid Gang-Driven Crime Crisis
Sweden intends to rent out numerous prison spaces within Estonia's correctional facilities.
Sweden, battling a surge in gang-related crime, is all set to lease a chunk of prison space from Estonia. The agreement—which could be officially signed by both EU countries in mid-June, according to Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer during a recent press conference—will see Sweden temporarily house hundreds of criminals in the southeastern Estonian city of Tartu's prison complex.
Before the plan goes into effect on July 1, 2026, the Swedish Parliament must ratify the agreement with a three-quarters majority. The proposed deal involves renting out about 600 cells from Tartu Prison, boasting 400 cells and a capacity to lodge up to 600 inmates. This arrangement might include offenders convicted of crimes like murder, sexual assaults, or economic crimes, as per Henrik Vinge, chairman of the parliamentary justice committee and a popular member of the Sweden Democrats, a right-wing populist party holding significant political sway.
The Swedish government has vowed not to send high-risk criminals—terror-related offenders or those involved in organized crime—to Estonia. Instead, the primary focus appears to be on relocating convicted gang members from domestic prisons whilst making room for other offenders in Sweden by shifting them to Estonia.
Sweden has been grappling with a persisting gang-related crime problem for several years. The ensuing prison overcrowding crisis has pushed Sweden's correctional facilities to operate at an alarming 141% occupancy rate. To address this issue, Sweden will fork out €8,500 per prison space per month to Estonia.
[1] Source: ntv.de, DPA[2] Enrichment Data: Sweden will rent up to 600 prison places in Tartu, with the capacity to house up to 933 prisoners, but currently having 600 vacant spaces.[3] Enrichment Data: The agreement'sCOST savings are estimated at €8,500 per month, compared to €11,500 in Sweden.[4] Enrichment Data: This agreement is expected to create hundreds of jobs in Estonia and provide economic benefits, as Sweden will shoulder all maintenance costs related to the foreign prisoners.[5] Enrichment Data: The focus of the agreement is on housing low-risk inmates, with high-risk individuals excluded from the transfer.
In the context of Sweden's plan to lease prison space from Estonia amid a surge in gang-related crime, the policy-and-legislation process involves the Swedish Parliament needing to ratify the agreement with a three-quarters majority before it takes effect in July 2026. Meanwhile, the associated politics and general news have sparked discussions around crime-and-justice issues, as the arrangement mainly focuses on housing low-risk inmates, such as convicted gang members, to alleviate Sweden's prison overcrowding crisis and create job opportunities in Estonia.
