The government has launched drastic changes for the Central Prisons, after the findings of the long-standing problems that plague the penitentiary. According to information from "F", the moves that will be made concern three levels: The fight against crime that hatches in the cells, the solution of the problem of overcrowding and the incisions in the administration.

In an effort to solve the long-standing problems that exist in the penitentiary, which in the past was found to operate as a crime incubator, there was an intensification of controls and a tightening of the surveillance procedures in the Central Prisons, an action that brought the first results. Although the situation remains problematic, the government estimates that steps forward have been made, which will help in the effective management of the situation in the coming period.

According to our information, actions are being taken for the radical reconstruction of the Central Prisons at all levels, with the aim of drastically addressing a series of problems that have to do with the illegal activity of criminal elements, overcrowding but also with administrative issues such as lack of cooperation, and even phenomena of inadequacy and corruption.

The involvement of convicts and/or undertrials in illegal activities related to organized crime is proven, as evidenced by various cases that are before the Justice, as well as by testimonies and evidence that come to the attention of the Authorities. From 2023 onwards, checks in the Prisons were intensified with the aim of recording the problems, in order to find the required solutions. Emphasis was placed on identifying the security gaps that allowed the introduction into the Central Prison of mobile phones and phone cards (SIM) used by convicts, mainly long-term convicts, for the planning and execution of crimes by people outside the Prisons. In addition to mobile phones and SIM cards, drugs are the number one prohibited product in demand in prisons and that is why convicts and prisoners come up with everything in order to secure them. From the occasional investigations, it appears that the transport of prohibited objects or substances within the Prisons is carried out during visits by relatives or friends, sometimes even by lawyers, as well as by some prison guards. Drugs and phones were supplied during the transport of prisoners from other areas. There were also attempts to transport drugs to the Prisons using drones, or with balls and boxes thrown into the Prison yard from the Dead Zone. Most drugs, phones and SIM cards are found in prisoners' cells, which is why checks in prisons have been intensified.

MOBILE PHONES AND SIM CARDS CONFISCATED IN THE CENTRAL PRISON

MOBILE PHONES202320242025TOTAL
COMMON AREAS2215946
CELLS294627102
COURT1102
BY DRONE211013
THROW FROM A DEAD ZONE6151435
VISITING ROOM011617
TOTAL608966215
SIM CARDS202320242025TOTAL
COMMON AREAS212629
CELLS26372790
COURT29011
BY DRONE0505
THROW FROM A DEAD ZONE0505
VISITING ROOM0000
TOTAL495833140