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Prison Guards Report Threats as Minister Seeks Overhaul of Central Prisons

Published January 19, 2026, 20:24
Prison Guards Report Threats as Minister Seeks Overhaul of Central Prisons

Justice Minister Konstantinos Fytiris presented plans to the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights for a comprehensive reform of the Central Prisons, aiming to transform them into a modern correctional facility. This includes the recruitment and training of 90 new prison guards with specialized training in criminology and psychology, as well as providing incentives to existing guards based on the risk level of the wings they serve. Additionally, a name change to “Correctional Institution” is proposed, along with the cancellation of the existing building's expansion to save funds for the construction of new, modern prisons outside urban areas. The Minister acknowledged the problems of overcrowding and the mixing of prisoners of different categories, announcing measures such as the deportation of foreigners illegally in the country and the use of electronic monitoring with bracelets. He also advocated for the assignment of the prison director position through the purchase of services, believing that selection through the Public Service is not ideal. The operation of the mobile phone detection system is significant, with 90 phones confiscated in the last three months, while the activation of a signal jamming system is also being considered. The Minister criticized the company responsible for the jamming project, describing its work as sloppy. Finally, it was reported that prison guards and the deputy director of the prisons have received threats, which are being investigated by the competent authorities. Currently, there are 1,140 prisoners in the Central Prisons.