The purpose of renting prison cells from Estonia is to counteract the lack of space in Swedish prisons. Negotiations between the countries began in the spring.
The countries are now in agreement that Sweden will rent 400 cells in the prison in Tartu in the southeastern part of the country. The rooms have space for 600 convicted criminals.
Convicted of murder and sexual offenses
It will be about men who have turned 18 years old who have been convicted of crimes in Sweden, both Swedish and foreign citizens. However, not Estonians.
The prisoners who are transferred to Estonia will not pose a significant security risk, which corresponds to convicted persons who would be placed in a prison with security class 2 in Sweden.
Those who can be relevant for serving their sentence are, among others, persons who have been convicted of murder or sexual offenses, says Henrik Vinge (SD), chairman of the Justice Committee, during a press conference.
The execution of the sentence will always begin and end in Sweden.
The staff at the prison in Tartu will be Estonian, but will speak English. The prisoners will be entitled to an interpreter and translation.
Estonian legislation will apply, but in order for the prison stay to be equivalent to that in Sweden, certain special regulations have been agreed upon. Occupation, the right to visits and communication with the outside world will correspond to what applies in Sweden.
Swedish dispatched personnel from the Prison and Probation Service will be on site and, among other things, responsible for the training of the Estonian staff.
The cost of a prisoner in Estonia is estimated to be 8,500 euros per month, compared to 11,500 euros in Sweden.
Requires a parliamentary decision
According to an investigation, which the government has appointed and presented its report last winter, there are no obstacles in either the Constitution or the European Convention against renting prison cells abroad.
However, a parliamentary decision with a three-quarters majority is required for the agreement to be approved.
Legislation that makes it possible to place convicted persons in Estonia is intended to come into force on July 1, 2026.
The Chancellor of Justice wrote in a statement on the investigation's report that it is possible to discuss whether the investigation's proposal is compatible with the European Convention, since Sweden will not have jurisdiction over the prison staff.
