Penal labor in Turkey: Prisoners build prisons

Photo: AA

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According to the figures of the Ministry of Justice Presidency of Strategy Development, 68 new prisons were to be built in this year alone in what was the highest number in 16 years.

However, in its 2021 performance report, the ministry stated that it planned to open 39 new prisons this year.

The contradiction between the numbers is because of the fact that the ministry undertook the construction of 41 prisons and the Penal Enforcement Institution Workshops undertook the construction of 27 prisons. In other words, prisoners are building prisons.

There are a total of 384 prisons in Turkey, according to a statement on November 1 by the Directorate General for Prisons and Detention Houses.

Number of new prisons opened by year (Sources: Ministry of Justice Presidency of Strategy Development, Directorate General for Prisons and Detention Houses)

Among the 68 new prisons, the Aksaray prison has the highest capacity, with 6,000. The government is building "penal cities," the populations of which will be higher than many districts in the country.

With the new "penal cities," the number of prisoners in the country, which has reached 300,000, will apparently increase even more. (MO/EMK/VK)