In mid-October, the Director General of the Correctional Service, Martin Holmgren, decided that the number of places within the agency must be quickly increased.
The short-term solutions now being implemented are to use two-thirds of all visiting rooms in class 1 and 2 institutions for inmates and to double-board all cells six square meters or larger, if possible.
“It can get messy”
The recently expanded class 2 institution in Skänninge outside Mjölby is an example of how tough the situation is. The institution is actually adapted for 312 inmates, but currently there are as many as 401 inside the fences.
The high occupancy has created problems regarding how to solve the most basic routines at the institution, such as food and laundry. Fewer visits and limited employment can also create a bad atmosphere among the inmates.
The head of the facility at Skänninge is concerned about the working environment in the future.
– It can get messy, the more people we have in a small area, the greater the risks, says Emil Ahlquist.
See and hear more in the video above.