On Wednesday, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, during his visit to the Academy, where 44 newly recruited correctional officers are being trained, as part of a new program developed by the University of Cyprus.
Addressing the trainees, Mr. Fytiris stated that “the Prison Guard Academy has been upgraded this year” and urged them to work “above all, with integrity, knowledge, and efficiency.” At the same time, he noted that the mission of prisons is rehabilitation, while simultaneously ensuring public order and respect for human rights.
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According to a statement from the Ministry, 44 newly recruited correctional officers are being trained at the Academy, 39 men and 5 women, of whom 31 are permanent staff and 13 are temporary. The training program lasts 13 weeks, from September 21 to December 18, 2026, and includes both theoretical and practical training.
In remarks to reporters, the Minister expressed his satisfaction with the participation of professors from the University of Cyprus and other specialized instructors in the program.
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When asked about the content of the training, he stated that the theoretical training includes, among other things, psychology, new correctional methods, and historical information about prisons. He added that the practical training will be conducted by the existing staff of the Central Prisons.
“For us, the goal is that anyone who makes a mistake and is convicted should be rehabilitated so that when they are released, they do not return to crime. We want the new correctional officers to gain the knowledge necessary to help these people, so that when they are released, they do not return,” he noted.
At the same time, Mr. Fytiris mentioned that prison guard positions will be advertised again, as the previous call for applications for 90 positions did not attract much interest. As he explained, citizens of other European Union member states will also be eligible to apply, and he expressed the view that there may be interest from Greece, since candidates must be proficient in the Greek language.
He noted that staffing needs have increased, among other reasons, in light of the creation of new juvenile detention centers.
Referring to the new director of the Central Prison, Giorgos Ioannou, the Minister said that the Public Service Commission has set November 2 as the date for him to assume his duties. As he noted, he has already met with him, and further meetings will follow so that he can be briefed on the situation at the prisons and the goals of the correctional system before taking office.
Regarding the new correctional facility, Mr. Fytiris stated, “Our main goal is for construction of the new correctional facility to begin before the end of 2027.” He added that he has committed to presenting the Master Plan to the affected municipalities so they can express their views, while other studies are also underway prior to the project’s implementation.
Furthermore, when asked about the cost of policing the Maccabi Tel Aviv games in Cyprus, the Minister said that the Police have been instructed to calculate the costs for all the games. Regarding the cost, he said, “We have the procedures in place, and it will be covered either by method A or method B.”
