Overview

• Swedish prisons operated at 112.6% capacity in 2023, driven largely by violent gang conflicts
• Estonia’s Tartu prison has 933 places but holds only about 300 inmates after reforms since 2010
• Under the agreement, Sweden will pay €30.6 million annually for 300 cells plus €8,500 per additional inmate, saving roughly €3,000 per confinement compared with domestic costs
• Prisoners convicted of terrorism or serious organised crime are excluded from the lease and must return to Sweden at least one month before completing their sentences
• Residents and local politicians in Tartu have voiced concerns that imported offenders could pose a threat to public safety