Severe Overcrowding Strains Psychiatric Detention Facilities in Berlin and Brandenburg

Reports highlight critical capacity and staffing shortages in forensic psychiatric institutions, prompting plans for expansion and reforms.

Berlin's forensic psychiatric hospital is operating at 113% capacity, with 621 patients in a facility designed for 549, leading to overcrowding and inadequate living conditions.
Patients in Berlin have reportedly been forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, and shared rooms with up to five people, raising concerns over privacy and safety.
Staffing shortages are acute, with 25% of positions, including over 100 nursing roles, currently unfilled, resulting in canceled therapy sessions and medical visits.
Brandenburg's facilities are also overburdened, operating at 15% above capacity, though a 2023 reform aims to reduce admissions by focusing on genuinely treatable cases.
Both Berlin and Brandenburg plan to expand capacity, with Berlin adding 109 new beds across two sites in 2025 and Brandenburg creating 26 additional spaces to alleviate overcrowding.