“Greek prisons overcrowded” according to Ministry of Justice figures

The conditions in Greek prisons are tragic and dire, with many of the correctional facilities being overcrowded. According to data submitted in Parliament by the Ministry of Justice at the request of DIMAR MPs Niki Founta and Yannis Panousis, the 34 prisons in Greece house 12,703 inmates, when they are designed for 9,286.

The situation at the Korydallos facility in Athens is indicative of the third-world conditions, where 2,270 inmates are held, while the maximum capacity is 1,070. The prison’s hospital, which can treat 60 inmates at a time, has 176, while the psychiatric ward treats 267 despite having facilities for only 160. Similar conditions exist in the other prisons as well.