Number of inmates at Greek prisons down 2,000

The number of people being held in Greek prisons has fallen by around 2,000 people this year, said Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos, who vowed to make further progress in 2016.

“To a certain degree we have eased the overcrowding,” he said in an interview with Praktoreio FM on Monday.

“The number of inmates was about 11,000 but is now around 9,000 and this means the situation is much more humane. It is not where we want it to be, though.”

Paraskevopoulos attributed the decline in numbers to a law passed earlier this year that allowed early release for some prisoners.

The minister said that one of the most urgent improvements that has to be made is to the medical facilities available to prisoners.