Country

Greece

Detention issue

Cell space

FRA research findings

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Legal instruments & key provisions

Legal instrument Key provision
Penitentiary Code (Σωφρονιστικός Κώδικας)Individual cells must have a capacity of at least 35 cubic meters and be equipped with a bed, a table, a seat and closet space. Chambers must provide an area of at least 6 m2 per prisoner and must also be equipped with the appropriate number of beds, closet space, tables and seating.

NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM RECOMMENDATIONS

Year Recommendation Report
2015NPM made note of a number of issues among which overcrowding, shortages in infrastructure and old facilities, citing some alarming examples. Report details
2017These concerns from 2015 remain in its 2017 annual report. There, the NPM noted that although the overall number of detainees is low (total prison population remains below 10.000) overcrowding persists which is creating issues in certain facilities. Report details
2018The National Preventive Mechanism (Greek Ombudsman) in its annual special report of 2018 on the prevention of torture and ill- treatment noted that in the vast majority of the detention facilities the overcrowding phenomenon has reappeared, improvement of prison conditions requires a holistic approach to managing overcrowding and legislation must be passed to rationalise penalties, protect human dignity and reduce the length of sentences via the adoption of alternative measures. Report details
2019In its annual special report of 2019 , the NPM stressed that the initial significant prison decongestion trend has gradually receded, mainly due to the high rates of pre-trial detention and the severity of penalties imposed by courts on certain categories of crimes. Report details