The Slovenian Prison Administration released its figures for 2014. Director General Jože Podržaj said at a press conference that 1518 people are in prison at the moment: 1290 convicts, 211 detainees and 17 juveniles.

Currently, the most overcrowded prison in the country is the Ljubljana prison – 49 percent over capacity. According to Podržaj, it is also the most problematic prison, as the majority of detainees are currently being held there. The prison in Koper is operating at 124.6 percent of capacity, the Maribor prison at 124 percent, and the closed section of the Dob prison at 122.7 percent.

Podržaj said that despite having overcrowded prisons and fewer employees, the Prison Administration did a very good job last year. They tried to ease their problems by transferring prisoners from more crowded to less crowded prisons. Employees logged a combined 43000 hours in paid overtime last year.

According to Podržaj, Slovenian prisons are still ranked among the best in Europe and beyond, since there are no waiting lines.

Pordžaj: State needs to secure funds for prisons
However, Podržaj said that the situation is becoming unbearable and that the system is teetering on the brink. He added that their internal sources are depleted and that it was high time for the state to step in and make sure they are neither understaffed nor underfunded. According to Podržaj, they already drafted a report on the matter and will ask the government for help.

Podržaj added they would need at least 12 additional judicial police officers, 10 prison officers, two legal experts and one medic, stressing that this would be the bare minimum. He said they also needed an additional 600,000 euros for salaries.

L. L.
translated by D. V.