Tue, 27 Oct, 2015 12:02:53 AM Hämeenlinna prison to be readied for women prisoners FTimes – STT Report, Oct 27  File Photo Lehtikuva. The Ministry of Justice announced on Monday that the government is not going to close down the Juuka and Sulkava prisons as the authorities estimated that the prison population in coming years will not be falling.
According to the ministry’s Director General Arto Kujala, the government has received information from several sources that instead refer to an estimated increase in the number of prisoners.
Therefore, there will be no prison closures.
“The government programme mentions by name the revision of penalties for certain crimes. There are discussions about, among other things, a review of punishments for first time offenders. No one knows what is going to happen to the number of prisoners,” Kujala said.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, which is why now is considered to be a bad time to lower the prison capacity,” he added.
The Criminal Sanctions Agency had proposed a reduction in the prison network to cut costs. The agency called for the open prisons Juuka and Sulkava to be closed, as well as the Huittinen open division.
The Ministry of Justice’s plan takes into account the State Economic Decision for 2017-2020. The Criminal Sanctions Agency’s budget has received an 8 million euro boost by 2019. Justice Minister Jari Lindström said it is safeguarding the state’s core functions.
“I consider it important in a tight economic situation that the Criminal Sanctions Agency’s operating conditions are safeguarded,” the minister said.
The ministry also outlined on Monday that the Hämeenlinna prison will be converted into a modern women’s prison.
The existing prison buildings will be torn down and replaced, and, at the same time, they will get rid of their “slopping out” cells.
Kevava’s main prison building will be converted into an open prison and the present poor-condition open prison division will be torn down.
The renovations will happen during 2017-2018.
According to the ministry, southern Finland will be better able to meet its prison needs after the renovations.
The Criminal Sanctions Agency on Monday praised the ministry’s plans.
“It creates the conditions for us to maintain and further develop our operations. Also, it’s important for our staff that the long period of uncertainty has come to an end,” said Criminal Sanctions Agency Director General Esa Vesterbacka.
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