Prison bill to toughen rules

A new bill to be tabled in Parliament in the coming days by the Citizens’ Protection Ministry aims to tighten the regime for the transfer of prisoners to rural detention facilities, according to General Secretary for Anti-Crime Policy Sofia Nikolaou.

Nikolaou told Kathimerini that 200 inmates have escaped during transportation in the past four years.

She said authorities plan to toughen furlough criteria amid reports of increasing violations of prison regulations. Similar measures will be introduced to better monitor admission to the Korydallos psychiatric clinic, which is also believed to be subject to abuse by inmates. The clinic receives 3,000 patients per year.

Nikolaou also said that the relocation of Korydallos Prison to Aspropyrgos will be completed in the next three years.