Denmark’s prisons are facing severe overcrowding and understaffing issues, prompting concern from the Danish Bar and Law Society as the government proposes stricter penalties for serious crimes. The society questions where inmates receiving increased sentences will be housed, given the current state of the prison system.

With prisons operating at over 100% capacity, lawyers report cells crammed full and unconventional spaces being used to house inmates. The situation hinders the transfer of convicts from remand prisons to permanent facilities, impeding resocialization efforts and contact with the outside world.

While the government plans to address the space shortage by building new prisons and expanding existing facilities, these projects face significant delays. The Kosovo prison is now expected to open in 2027, and the Viborg prison, with 400 new places, is not projected to be ready until 2032-2033. Plans for an additional 1,000 places by 2036 bring the total to 2,000 new spaces.

The shortage of prison officers further exacerbates the problem. The number of officers has been declining for 13 consecutive years. The government has allocated one billion kroner towards addressing this issue by 2030.

The Danish Bar and Law Society acknowledges the government’s stance that criminal justice policy should not be dictated by space constraints, but it urges concrete discussion and solutions for the immediate overcrowding and understaffing issues during upcoming political negotiations. The society emphasizes the need to address the current challenges until new prison facilities are built and adequately staffed.