Average Number of Prisoners in 2024 Lowest in Five Years

Bratislava, 2 August (TASR) – In 2024, the average number of prisoners in Slovakia was 9,203, the lowest figure seen in the past five years, Alexandra Szakalova from the Justice Ministry's communications department has told TASR, adding that theft was the most frequent reason for serving a prison sentence. As of 31 December 2024, 1,062 people were remanded in custody, of whom 65 were women and 997 men, whereas prison sentences were being served by a total of 7,107 people, of whom 6,579 were men and 528 were women. The most prevalent age category was 30 to 45 years. "The total capacity in detention centres and prisons is 11,511, with the current occupancy rate standing at 69.9 percent," noted Szakalova. She said that the ministry sees positively the current downward trend when compared to previous years, adding that this could also be attributable to the revision of the Penal Code and its objective of imposing prison sentences only as a last resort. From the perspective of the Prison and Judicial Guard Corps (ZVJS), the lower numbers will translate into better conditions in terms of personal space for prisoners, such as surface area per prisoner. "At the same time, this will enable prison staff to work more intensively towards reducing the risk of social exclusion of convicted people, while improving the prospects of actively integrating them into society or the labour market after they are released in order to curb recidivism as much as possible," added Szakalova. jrg/df/ko/mf