Published: Just now
The number of people arrested and detained is increasing, but there are not enough places.
Now it is almost completely full in all the country’s detention centers and arrests.
– It is extremely strained throughout Sweden, says Torbjörn Nyberg, head of unit at the Correctional Service.
In recent weeks, the situation has been very strained in the country’s detention centers.
The Correctional Service has around 2,500 fixed detention places, but in addition has around 300 standby places in operation, mainly by placing two detainees in the same room.
– All the detention centers are full and we have overcrowding everywhere. Since a few weeks ago, some detainees have also remained in police custody, and we are working hard to resolve the situation, says Torbjörn Nyberg, unit manager at the Correctional Service.
Right now, the Correctional Service is trying to put the puzzle together by finding new places and rooms for the inmates, while also trying to move people who have already been sentenced out to an institution more quickly.
– We do what we can both in the short term and in the long term to get those who are waiting for a detention place out, says Torbjörn Nyberg.
“Never experienced anything like this”
If you look at the country’s prisons and institutions, a similar picture is painted. In addition to the fact that extra staff must be deployed in the prisons, the rooms in the country’s institutions are overcrowded.
– In ten years, I have never witnessed anything like this, a source tells Aftonbladet.
In some cases, detained persons may go to other parts of the country, if a place becomes available in a detention center.
– Even in prisons, many people have to share rooms now. Sometimes you also have to occupy visiting rooms, which restricts the visiting hours, says Torbjörn Nyberg.
Forced to adapt
But in many cases it is not enough to cover rooms. Many times the staff of the country’s prisons are also forced to adapt their operations.
– This means that we cannot do as much as we would like, such as when it comes to isolation-breaking measures or visiting hours, for example. The staff do a fantastic job, but it is a stressful work situation as it is both full and overcrowded.
Torbjörn Nyberg also says that he hopes the situation will improve in the coming weeks. More detention centers are also expected to open this summer – including in Högsbo, Ystad and Nyköping.
– We are working hard to increase the number of places in both the detention centers and the institutions while doing everything we can to ensure that no one remains in the detention center, says Torbjörn Nyberg.