Alpha News

Justice Minister Initiates Consultations, Plans Reforms for Central Prisons

Published January 2, 2026, 06:29

The new Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, is beginning a series of meetings with unions representing law enforcement personnel and prison officials, prioritizing the resolution of issues at the Central Prisons. He has already visited the prisons three times and will be making his fourth visit today, demonstrating a keen interest in the conditions of the inmates, having even toured the cells. Mr. Fytiris inherited a Ministry with significant outstanding issues, with the Central Prisons being the most urgent. He has already begun developing a comprehensive action plan for the Prisons, which he will present at the next Cabinet meeting. The plan includes measures for the Administration, buildings, overcrowding, and staff. One of the proposed measures is the construction of a new prison facility, a project that had not been pursued by his predecessors. At the same time, the second phase of the Central Prisons expansion project, which had been announced by President Nikos Christodoulides, appears to have stalled. This second phase involved the construction of a new high-security wing with a capacity of 360 inmates at a cost of €35 million, initially scheduled for completion in early 2028. The tender for the project was announced, but none of the submitted bids were accepted by the state, as they exceeded the allocated budget. This situation is expected to be discussed at the Cabinet meeting and will be part of the new Minister's action plan.