As a “small state” with 1,750 beds, featuring facilities for education, vocational training, rehabilitation, and therapeutic programs, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, in an interview with “Simerini tis Kyriakis.”
Mr. Fytiris states that the new prison is being designed as a modern correctional facility and not merely as a large detention building, noting that they will have all the infrastructure necessary to function as a “small society.”
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The new facilities are expected to include vocational training workshops, therapeutic programs, rehabilitation centers, and a small hospital and infirmary. At the same time, according to the Minister, inmates will be provided with work so that they can receive training and acquire a trade during their incarceration.
The plan calls for 1,750 beds, compared to approximately 650–700 in the current facilities, which, he notes, house about 1,200 inmates. Defendants, who account for approximately 30% of the current prison population, that is, approximately 400 individuals, will remain in two wings of the existing Central Prison so that they can easily be transported to court.
The project is currently in the master plan development stage, with Mr. Fytiris setting a goal to have “the bulldozers roll in” before the end of 2027. As he notes, the project is scheduled to take five years, though no specific date for its completion has yet been set.
Regarding the cost, he notes that the initial amount could reach €300 million; however, the final cost will be determined after the completion of the studies and detailed plans.
Referring to the reactions of local authorities and residents regarding the selection of Agios Sozomenos, Mr. Fytiris states that he is open to consultation, noting that their views will be taken into account when the master plan is presented. He also emphasizes that the land in question is state-owned and not a residential area.
Regarding the decision to abandon the previous plan in Mathiatis, the Minister of Justice explains that the area required significant infrastructure, including a road network, water supply, and electricity, which would have increased costs.
At the same time, he notes that work and improvements are continuing at the existing Central Prisons to enhance detention conditions and working conditions for staff.
Source: KYPE
