Iceland’s prisons are dangerously overcrowded with people who do not belong there, according to Heiðar Smith, chairman of the Prison Guards Association.
The Icelandic Prison and Probation Service operates four prisons with around 160 places. All are now full, Heiðar told the news agency, Vísir.
“Everything is overcrowded here. There is almost no free prison space in the country. This is a dangerous situation because if there are serious incidents where people need to be in prison, we don’t have the space to accommodate them,” Heiðar said, warning that the current system poses a risk to inmates, staff and the public.
What’s causing overcrowding?
Heiðar highlighted two main reasons for the current overcrowding.
The first is that deportees are being held while awaiting removal from the country. The second is that individuals with severe mental disorders are being kept behind bars rather than receiving specialist care.
“These people do not belong in the country’s prisons,” he told reporters. “Prison guards are not mental health experts. We don’t have the time or knowledge to care for these sick individuals.”
The government has pledged to build a new secure psychiatric facility and expand the forensic security unit, at a projected cost of ISK 20 billion by 2030. However, Heiðar believes more urgent action is needed, saying these plans have “have little meaning” in the current crisis.
