The Legal Affairs Committee sent the Bill allowing the accepting of foreign prisoners to the first reading
The Legal Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) sent the Bill that allows renting vacant prison space in Estonia to foreign countries to the first reading.
Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee Madis Timpson noted that current legislation did not allow prison sentences imposed by foreign courts to be served in Estonian prisons, which is why the law needed to be specified. “There is a lot of prison space in Estonia that is not being used and its maintenance is costing taxpayers millions of euros,” Timpson said.
“The Bill makes it possible to rent unused prison space to foreign countries where prisons are overcrowded. Currently, such cooperation is planned with Sweden,” Timpson said. He added that the Bill would allow Tartu Prison to remain in operation and guarantee jobs for prison staff, as well as reduce the state’s expenditure for maintaining empty prison space by putting it to work.
According to the Bill, a foreign country must submit an application to the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs if it wishes to send a prisoner to serve their sentence in Estonia. The application will be translated into Estonian and forwarded to Tartu County Court, which will decide whether the prison sentence can be enforced in Estonia. The prerequisite is that the offence is also punishable under Estonian law, the punishment is not unreasonably harsh and does not exceed three years. According to the Bill, the regulation on early release does not apply to foreign prisoners.
Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta and Adviser of the Penal Law and Procedure Division of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs Martin Ziehr participated in the sitting of the Legal Affairs Committee.
The Legal Affairs Committee decided to send the Bill on Amendments to the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure (773 SE), initiated by the Government, to the first reading at the plenary sitting of the Riigikogu on 18 February.
The Bill is related to the Bill on the Ratification of the Agreement between the Republic of Estonia and the Kingdom of Sweden on the Enforcement in Estonia of Swedish Sentences of Imprisonment (682 SE), initiated by the Government, that will ratify the agreement under which Estonia is ready to accept Swedish prisoners and enable the enforcement of their sentences in Estonia. The Riigikogu concluded the first reading of the Bill in November last year; in order for the Agreement to be ratified, the Bill will also have to pass a second reading in the Riigikogu. It also has to be ratified by the Parliament of Sweden.
Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
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