Schleswig-Holstein: Overcrowded prisons-state government reacts!

Schleswig-Holstein: Overcrowded prisons-state government reacts!

The Schleswig-Holstein state government reacts to the persistently high number of occupancy in the state prisons. Justice Minister Kerstin von der Keden (CDU) recently announced the expansion of the prison and is planning to create more than 150 additional detention places. This step is necessary to do justice to the great need in Schleswig-Holstein and nationwide, since the prisons in Schleswig-Holstein and other federal states have been overcrowded for some time, with an average occupancy rate of at least 90 percent for men and for women. Mopo reports that this is apparently apparent in the youth career agency MOLTSFELDE in Neumünster, where at least 30 liability should be preserved while at the same time at least 16 places for youth arrest.

In the Lübeck prison, investments are also made. In the spring of 2026, more than 80 detention places are to be created by building the new building B. The existing house E is not closed, which ensures additional stability in the existing system. It is also planned to create a total of more than 150 detention places through renovations and extensions in the Flensburg prison by the end of 2027. For the psychiatric department in Lübeck, an additional 25 fully inpatient places are planned by the end of 2028. The intention to women in Lübeck and Itzehoe should also be expanded.

Current number of occupancy in Schleswig-Holstein

In total, 1,438 detention places are available in Schleswig-Holstein for the prison, 143 of which are open. These places are spread over several prisons and a youth institution: the JVA Flensburg has 60 places, the JVA Itzehoe 32, the JVA Kiel 262, the JVA Neumünster 460 and the JVA Lübeck 400 places. The youth performance is also not neglected, with 140 seats in the Schleswig youth center, which are also used for social therapy and open execution. Destatis

The need for these extensions are underlined by the current reports on prison statistics, which document the number and structure of the persons entering correctional facilities. These statistics are important indicators for effective planning and control in the prison system, especially with regard to the challenges that arise from an increasingly overloaded infrastructure.