Luxembourg's prisons are experiencing significant strain as a direct result of rising crime rates, a growing number of police officers and judges, and an increase in convictions. Over the past year alone, the prison population has surged from 737 to 851, according to Serge Legil, Director General of the Luxembourg Prison Administration.
In the meantime, the Association of Prison Officers (AAP) warns that staff are being pushed to their breaking point by overcrowding and are facing repeated incidents of violence from inmates.
The opening of the Uerschterhaff prison in December 2022 initially brought a sense of relief. It was expected that the new, modern facility would ease the pressure on the ageing Schrassig prison, especially by accommodating pre-trial detainees.
However, just three-and-a-half years later, all three of Luxembourg’s prisons are once again close to full capacity.
Legil explained that Luxembourg used to be promoted as the capital at the heart of Europe. But being at the heart of Europe means that many routes pass through the country, a fact the country is now paying a price for. Many detainees have no real connection to Luxembourg; they are arrested here, often as drug couriers or involved in other criminal activity, because they passed through the country and were sent to a prison here.
The AAP has repeatedly expressed concern that the 2018 reforms, which aimed to provide more educational and social support to help inmates reintegrate into society, are now under threat.
Samir Djennas, President of the association, stated that the more staff there are, the better they can supervise prisoners. However, now they are working with the bare minimum staff, which leaves little time to focus on meaningful reintegration efforts.
The association's demand is clear, and it is not new: more staff are urgently needed, especially as not only the number of inmates is rising, but society as a whole is seeing a decline in respect for authority.
Yet Legil cautions against seeing additional personnel as a cure-all. He explains that prisons reflect the complexity of society, with inmates often having specific profiles, which is why it is too simplistic to think that more staff alone will solve the problem. The issue is multifaceted and so must be the solutions, the director general urges. While more staff is needed, the relationship is not directly proportional.
To help ensure the safety of officers in situations that escalate, Legil added on Friday morning that the Prison Administration is considering the use of pepper gel, which is already in storage but not yet in use.
Djennas, on the other hand, remains sceptical, arguing that neither more deterrent tools nor more staff alone is a solution. He compares the situation to the army or the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) stocking up on equipment, always hoping they will not have to use it.
The 2018 reforms were intended to redefine the role of prison officers, not just as guards wielding batons, but as professionals supporting the reintegration of inmates. Djennas insists that the staffing ratio set out in the reform must now be reviewed, so that officers are not constantly being called back from days off to cover for colleagues who are ill.
