The Ministry of Justice plans to bring up to 600 prisoners from Sweden to Tartu Prison, as a significant number of prison spaces in Estonia currently stand empty.

At a press conference, Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta (Eesti 200) explained that Tartu Prison is an extremely expensive and modern facility and tearing it down would not make sense, as Estonia may need it in the future. At present, taxpayers are paying €12 million annually to maintain these unused prison spaces.

The agreement to transfer Swedish prisoners to Estonia is scheduled to be signed on June 18 in Stockholm and will be valid for five years. If neither party objects, it will automatically extend for an additional three years upon expiration.

In Estonia, the monthly cost of maintaining one inmate is €3,200, but when additional expenses such as education programs for prisoners are included, the total cost rises to €5,000. Under the agreement with Sweden, the country will pay Estonia €8,500 per prisoner per month, which covers all related costs, including additional funding earmarked for security services.

"€8,500 more than covers all potential expenses. Estonian taxpayers won't have to pay anything extra," Pakosta emphasized, adding that the price accounts for all foreseeable risks and includes all necessary services, such as possible medical care.

Not just any type of prisoner will be transferred to Estonia. Pakosta noted that the agreement includes a number of exclusions — for instance, individuals involved in organized crime will not be accepted.

"What remains are healthy adult men serving long sentences, who are not radicalized, not involved in gang-related crime, not assessed as requiring special supervision and who do not have serious psychiatric needs," Pakosta listed. She added that this means the remaining group consists of criminals who have received long sentences for crimes committed alone and gave the example of perpetrators of crimes of passion, as well as sexual offenders and white-collar criminals.

"Long sentences are not handed down just for saying the wrong thing," Pakosta added.

ISS and PPA to be compensated

Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) noted that only foreign prisoners will remain in Tartu, while Estonian inmates will be relocated to either Tallinn or Viru Prison. According to him, bringing Swedish prisoners to Tartu will also help reduce the security risk posed by depopulation in southern Estonia and along the border areas.

"Following the layoffs at Tartu Prison, there was likely a looming risk of yet another justice institution being scaled back in Southern Estonia. Now, the opposite is happening. When people ask why the state isn't bringing public sector jobs to the regions, here's an example where work is being created for employees equivalent to several ministries. And not just in Tartu, but also in Põlva, Võru — altogether in six counties," Taro added.

Pakosta said that the arrival of Swedish prisoners will bring 400 new jobs to Tartu. However, the cost model does not include Swedish officials sent to Estonia, as those expenses will be borne by Sweden.

For the Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) and the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), the need to screen potential visitors and manage other risks will entail additional expenses. ISS Director General Margo Palloson and PPA Director General Egert Belitšev confirmed that the agencies will receive extra funding for the additional workload.

"The Ministry of Justice has assured us that all added responsibilities will be met with corresponding resources," said Belitšev.

Justice Minister Pakosta declined to specify the exact sums to be allocated to ISS and the PPA, stating that this information is not public due to security considerations.

According to Palloson, the agreement with Sweden provides a safeguard: if an individual who poses a threat to public order or national security ends up in Estonia, they can be returned to Sweden.

Director of the Prison Service Rait Kuuse added that if Estonia were to face an emergency requiring a rapid increase in prison capacity, a buffer of available space exists in Tallinn and Viru prisons. Should Tartu Prison also be needed, the agreement allows for the repatriation of prisoners to Sweden.

Kuuse pointed out that Sweden will cover the cost of transporting prisoners to and from Estonia. Like Pakosta, he affirmed that the monthly €8,500 fee per inmate will fully cover all necessary costs. He also noted that the financial value of the agreement will be indexed upward by 3.5 percent annually.

PPA considers risk of violence in prisons minimal

All activities will be confined strictly to the grounds of Tartu Prison and inmates will only leave the facility under armed escort — either to the airport or to medical institutions.

"In the case of emergencies requiring medical attention, we already today transport inmates under armed prison service staff to receive care at various health institutions when necessary. However, the vast majority of medical services are provided on the prison premises," said Rait Kuuse.

According to him, the agreement between the Estonian and Swedish prison services outlines all operational details — from inmates' daily routines and meals to how officials are expected to work with them. Kuuse emphasized that the associated risks are manageable, and based on prior prison experience, local residents need not be concerned with the prison's day-to-day operations.

The ISS has prepared a threat assessment identifying the main risks associated with transferring Swedish inmates to Estonia. ISS Director General Margo Palloson said the key to mitigating those risks lies in thorough background checks and proper training of prison staff.

"Some residual risks will remain, which the ISS will address on an ongoing basis," Palloson added.

Belitšev noted that the overall situation in Estonian prisons is very good, with the risk of violence significantly minimized — incidents that were common 20 or 30 years ago are now extremely rare.

"The greatest potential risk involves contacts between individuals engaged in organized crime," said the PPA director general. To prevent this, he explained, Swedish prisoners will be kept separate from Estonian inmates.

A positive aspect of the entire project for the PPA is the opportunity to keep the Tartu detention center operational, which Belitšev said is critically important for police work.

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