Justice ministry moves forward with new prison plans

Objections to the locating of a new central prison in their area were raised on Tuesday by representatives of the municipalities of South Nicosia-Dali and Yeri-Latsia during a meeting with officials from the justice ministry. The final decision for the implementation of the project will be taken after Justice Minister Costas Fitiris’ “masterplan” and the necessary technical, environmental and other studies are completed and all data is evaluated in full, the ministry said after the meeting. Once the relevant studies have been completed, their findings will be presented to the local authorities. This will be followed by a consultation to ensure that their opinions and documented suggestions are taken into account before a design is finalised. During the meeting, the parties expressed their concerns and exchanged views, agreeing to continue the dialogue in all subsequent stages of planning. “The common goal is to continue a sincere and productive dialogue, with mutual respect and responsibility, so that the final decision serves the needs of the state and at the same time takes seriously the needs and reasonable concerns of local communities,” the ministry said. The new central prison is set to be constructed on a state-owned plot in Ayios Sozomenos, bordering the two above municipalities of Nicosia. Justice Minister Costas Fitiris had initially outlined plans for the new central prison on the outskirts of Mathiatis. However, the plans were scrapped due to “cost and time criteria” following a meeting at the ministry in mid-September. Fitiris had earlier spoken of a masterplan for the project, saying the new facilities would promote development in the area, create employment opportunities and strengthen local entrepreneurship. The new facility is expected to cost around €300 million and will have a capacity of 1,500 inmates, including pre-trial detainees. The current central prison in the Ayios Dhometios area of Nicosia has exceeded capacity and currently houses 1,177 prisoners, with longstanding issues related to overcrowding, ranking prison cells in the Republic the most overcrowded in the European Union with an occupancy rate of 227.6 per cent according to the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat.