"The Ministry of Justice and Public Order will neither sugarcoat the situation at the Central Prison nor claim that problems that have been piling up for decades can be resolved within a few months.”
This is how the Ministry of Justice responded to AKEL’s statement regarding the Central Prisons. In its statement yesterday, AKEL called on the government, among other things, to make the reform of the Central Prisons a top public safety priority, referring to long-standing problems and leveling sharp criticism against the government.
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The full text of AKEL’s statement:
As AKEL, we once again express our deep concern and outrage over the uncontrolled and dangerous situation prevailing at the Central Prisons. The tragic events that have come to light fully confirm our long-standing complaints and warnings: our correctional facility, instead of being a place of rehabilitation, has been transformed into a “command center” for organized crime.
Escapes, murders, rapes, stabbings, suicides, as well as the unchecked trafficking of drugs and alcohol are part of everyday life. Crimes are planned and carried out from inside prison cells via cell phones, while in the past we witnessed the international humiliation of the state through podcasts and live broadcasts by inmates serving life sentences.
Instead of substantive measures, we are witnessing a public relations tactic by the government that attempts to sweep the problems under the rug, while the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) itself documents violence, gang rule, overcrowding, and appalling conditions.
Declarations of “revolutionary changes” remain empty words. Plans to build new prisons outside urban areas are severely delayed, problems with understaffing and infrastructure are escalating, and instead of immediately implementing an effective system to block cell phones—which is constantly announced but never put into practice— the government resorts to ineffective measures to toughen penalties.
Amid all this, the government continually requests extensions to create a separate detention facility for minors, in flagrant violation of the law and international conventions.
Public safety is being undermined on a daily basis. We call on the government to assume its responsibilities, put an end to its inaction, and make the reform of the Central Prisons a top priority for public order.
If the government cannot control those already in prison, how can it expect Cypriot society to feel safe?
The following is the Ministry of Justice’s official response to AKEL:
The Ministry of Justice and Public Order will neither sugarcoat the situation at the Central Prisons nor claim that problems that have been accumulating for decades can be resolved within a few months.
Overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, understaffing, the illegal possession and use of cell phones, drug trafficking, and incidents of violence are real and serious problems. This is precisely why they have been placed at the center of our efforts and are being addressed through specific planning and measures.
The reality, however, is not served by sweeping statements or exaggerations, nor by presenting long-standing problems as if they had arisen only today.
Recently, specific measures have already been initiated or are being implemented to relieve overcrowding in prisons, increase available capacity, create appropriate facilities for minors, strengthen staffing, and improve security.
At the same time, planning is underway for new, modern correctional facilities outside urban areas—a major project that, as we have stated from the outset, is expected to take approximately five years to complete. We do not harbor the illusion that such a project can be completed overnight.
Our goal is not to constantly manage the consequences with temporary solutions. Our goal is to create the infrastructure, procedures, and correctional culture that the country needs for the coming decades.
As for the illegal use of cell phones, we have repeatedly explained that a comprehensive solution to the problem also requires the installation of the necessary mobile signal jamming systems, which is currently underway.Is there a delay? Yes, there is, and we have no reason to hide it. The procedures mandated by law, the technical requirements, and the necessary implementation steps are time-consuming and affect the initial timelines. However, this does not mean inaction. It means that a serious and complex project must be carried out in accordance with the law, technically sound, and effectively.
A separate and appropriately designed facility for juvenile detainees is being established as soon as possible. The planning cannot be based solely on the current number of juveniles. It must take into account the projected needs for the coming years, security requirements, education, living conditions, and reintegration, as well as the Republic’s obligations under national and international law.
Tackling crime within prisons cannot be done with slogans. It requires intelligence, monitoring, technology, sufficient and properly organized staff, modern facilities, and the resolute enforcement of the law. There are already positive results. However, we have not yet reached the level we want, and we do not hesitate to acknowledge this. We do not claim that everything has been resolved. We do, however, claim that we are working methodically toward permanent solutions and, until they are finalized, we are implementing the best possible interim solutions under the circumstances.
At the same time, there is a reality that cannot be ignored. The police are making arrests on a daily basis as part of an intensive effort to combat organized and serious crime, particularly drug trafficking. This increased law enforcement activity, combined with court rulings, inevitably places a strain on both police holding cells and prisons.
The response to this pressure cannot be fewer arrests or less determination in the fight against crime. The State has an obligation to ensure decent and lawful conditions of detention while simultaneously protecting society. And certainly, it is not the intention simply improve the overcrowding statistics or reduce efforts to prosecute drug traffickers and organized criminal groups that destroy lives and pose a particular threat to the younger generation.
This is precisely the difficult equation we are called upon to solve: greater effectiveness in combating crime, while at the same time ensuring better, safer, and more dignified detention conditions. One cannot serve as an excuse for neglecting the other.
That is why our daily efforts focus simultaneously on reducing overcrowding, improving infrastructure, ensuring security, staffing, minors, technological upgrades, and the construction of new prisons. Not through piecemeal measures, but through a comprehensive plan involving immediate, transitional, and long-term interventions.
The Ministry will continue to work with transparency and determination and will be judged by the results. That is what we want as well. Let the discussion, therefore, take place not at the level of labels and impressions, but at the level of projects and measurable results—both today and, above all, at the end of the journey.
