The Minister of Justice Nikos Paraskevopoulos commented that the abolition of the controversial ‘Type C’ maximum security prison facilities has ‘brought calm’ since there have been no escapes or major prison riots since then.
Mr. Paraskevopoulos, who gave an interview the Praktorio 104.9 FM radio station, further elaborated that while there has been calm in recent times, the situation cannot change from one day to the next. When asked about the efforts to reduce overcrowding in Greek prisons, Mr. Paraskevopoulos noted that there were a total of 9,000 inmates –about 2,000 fewer than previously – which has contributed towards an improvement of conditions.
According to the Justice Minister the government aims to improve the penitentiary system, noting that efforts are need to be made in reintegrating inmates back into society, as well as providing the necessary support for drug rehabilitation. He also underlined the need to improve the prison healthcare system.
