In future, prisoners from Denmark will serve their sentences in a Kosovar prison. But the idea also poses problems.
Denmark’s prisons are on the verge of collapse. While the number of prisoners has increased significantly in recent years, there is a shortage of prison staff. Many guards have quit their jobs and there are few interested people. The situation is serious, because ultimately it is about a functioning constitutional state: Anyone who breaks the law should be able to be punished appropriately – and not get off lightly because there are no free cells available in the country.
To solve the problem, Denmark wants to house 300 prisoners in Kosovo. This involves criminals from countries outside the EU and EFTA who have to leave Denmark after serving their sentence. The plan has been floating around for several years. Not everyone in Kosovo was equally enthusiastic about the idea. On Thursday, however, Kosovo’s parliament approved the plan with a two-thirds majority.
Transferring prisoners who will have to leave the country later anyway to another country while they are still in prison sounds like a practical solution. The government in Copenhagen is also hoping to send a signal that the future of criminals does not lie in Denmark. But the idea also poses problems.
Costs unclear
Denmark is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, Kosovo one of the poorest and cheapest. The rent for the prison places will cost Denmark 200 million francs for ten years. But the government in Copenhagen is not interested in saving money, and it is also questionable whether outsourcing will save money. On the contrary: there are even fears that the project could end up costing taxpayers dearly.
Sentences in Kosovo must be carried out according to Danish law. This includes the right of inmates to receive visitors during their stay in prison. Prisoners should be able to spend at least one hour a week with their loved ones in Kosovo, wrote the daily newspaper Politiken a year ago, referring to the prison services.
If relatives live in Denmark, they must first fly from Copenhagen to Pristina and from there travel to the city of Gjilan, 50 kilometers away, where the rented prison is located. Apartments are provided in the prison for the visit, but the Danish state must at least partially cover the travel costs. It is still unclear how much this will cost.
In addition, the infrastructure must be rebuilt – this too must meet Danish standards. This also includes security precautions. According to the prison services, the work will take around two years. In addition, the Kosovar staff will have to be trained. The employees will work under a Danish prison management and must be familiar with Danish legislation, security measures and conflict management. A prison sentence in Kosovo should be no different from one in Denmark.
Direct deportations
Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard is nevertheless pleased that the Kosovo parliament has voted in favour. “It is crucial for us to secure more Danish prison places. The measure will also help to bring our ailing prison system back into balance,” he said in a press release. “At the same time, it is a clear signal to criminal foreigners that their future does not lie in Denmark and that they should not serve a sentence here.” The offenders will be deported directly to their home country after their prison sentence in Kosovo has expired.
Not everyone sees the matter in a positive light. The agreement has been heavily criticized. The UN Committee Against Torture called on the Danish government to drop the plans last year. A report expressed concerns that inmates’ access to medical care in Kosovo could be impaired. The risk of potential torture or mistreatment by prison staff was also mentioned. For the same reasons, Danish human rights organizations are critical of the plans.
The Danish prison officers’ union, however, does not believe that 300 prisoners will noticeably relieve the burden on the system. In Denmark, pre-trial detention is ordered more frequently than in most other European countries. In recent years, many sentences have also been increased. Union chairman Bo Yde Sörensen told broadcaster DR: “I can hardly imagine that Denmark will get fewer prisoners because we are sending 300 to Kosovo.” The vacant places will probably be filled quickly.