Overview

• Schleswig-Holstein's justice system faces severe understaffing, with prosecutors operating at 80% capacity and investigation delays increasing.
• Chronic prison overcrowding has persisted since 2023, with occupancy rates consistently exceeding 90%, leading to pretrial detainee releases due to procedural delays.
• The state government plans to create over 150 new detention places, including 30 adult places at Moltsfelde and 80 additional places in Lübeck's House B by 2026.
• Further expansions include a 25-bed psychiatric ward in Lübeck by 2028 and increased capacity for women’s prisons in Lübeck and Itzehoe.
• The SPD has called for a state action plan to address systemic overload, while CDU and Green factions propose seeking federal funding to bolster resources.