Britain could send criminals to the EU Telegraph

The British government is reportedly considering renting space in Estonian prisons due to overcrowding in its own country.

Britain's Justice Department is currently examining whether some of the country's criminals could be sent to Estonian prisons to serve their sentences in a bid to address prison overcrowding in its own country, The Telegraph reported on Friday.

The Baltic state said late last month it could rent out prison space and house criminals from other countries to generate revenue for the state budget.

According to the report, which cites British government sources, the controversial solution is “on the table” due to the severity of the situation. The Ministry of Justice said it was examining “all feasible options” to increase capacity because prisons in the UK are “on the verge of collapse”.

The number of British prison inmates is expected to rise from around 89,000 to between 93,100 and 106,300 by March 2027. In men's prisons in England and Wales, almost no cells were left free last month, with only 83 places left, The Telegraph wrote.

Because of the low crime rate, Estonia's prisons are half empty and the government in Tallinn believes its plan to rent prisons could bring in much-needed 30 million euros ($33 million) a year.

British Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood and her Estonian counterpart Liisa Pakosta were due to discuss prison leasing on the sidelines of a Council of Europe event in Vilnius, Lithuania.

But British officials are concerned the idea could prove “very expensive”. They have already ruled out renting space in prisons in countries such as the Netherlands, where the state spends almost £100,000 per prisoner.

In Eastern Europe and the Baltic states such as Estonia, between £10,000 and £20,000 is spent per prisoner annually, the report says. The cost of housing a prisoner in England and Wales is almost £50,000, while the cost of building a prison is £600,000 per prisoner, it says.

However, authorities believe that any negotiations over prison rent could lead to a doubling of costs, as other countries would likely charge a premium, The Telegraph wrote. There would also be costs for flights and sending some of the British prison staff abroad.

Another question is whether taxpayers should have to pay for visits by family members to Estonian prisoners, the report says.

Meanwhile, some senior former judges in England and Wales have said “radical solutions” such as earlier release of murderers and rapists on parole must be considered to alleviate the overcrowding crisis, The Guardian reported on Friday.

Their other proposals reportedly include the release of all prisoners serving a minimum sentence and the removal of elderly, terminally ill and dementia sufferers from prison.

(RT.com)