Report: Turkey's prison occupancy rate exceeds 133 percent
The Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST) has released its prison statistics for February 2026, revealing a further rise in overcrowding across Turkey's penal facilities.
According to the data, prisons in the country are operating at 133.55 percent capacity. As of February, 407,266 people are incarcerated in 403 prisons, which have a combined official capacity of 304,956.
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Of those held in prison, 342,522 are convicted while 64,744 are in pretrial detention.
CİSST noted that the number of prisoners held beyond capacity has increased by 5.77 percent compared to the previous month. As of February, there are 102,310 more prisoners than the system is designed to hold.
Prisoners with special needs
The data also highlight the number of prisoners with special needs. A total of 476 prisoners have disabilities, including 34 with speech and language impairments, 96 who are visually impaired, 68 with hearing impairments, 26 with both hearing and speech impairments, and 252 with orthopedic disabilities.
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Among the total prison population, 110,858 people are held in open prisons, while 296,408 are held in closed facilities.
Children and elderly prisoners
The statistics show that 6,381 inmates are aged 65 or older. Meanwhile, 4,505 children aged between 12 and 18 are in custody, including 206 girls. Among 19,339 incarcerated women, 891 are staying with their children aged 0–6.
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In 2025, 77,014 inmates were reported to be continuing their education, and 58,500 were engaged in insured vocational activities.
There are currently 200 LGBTI+ prisoners and 14,276 foreign nationals in Turkish prisons.
Meal allowance
According to figures from 2025, the state set daily meal allowances at 144 liras for adult inmates and on-duty prison staff. For juvenile inmates, the amount was set at 275 liras. Daily net minimum wage is 933 liras. (NÖ/VK)
