North’s prison ‘200 over capacity’

The north’s central prison is currently housing over 200 more inmates than its stated capacity, according to its director Fatih Erdogan.

Speaking to a panel of judges, Erdogan said the prison, which opened last year, has a stated capacity of 625 inmates, but that there are currently 844 people incarcerated there.

He said that prisoners are held in cells of either three, ten, or 14 people, with some cells which were designed to house ten inmates now housing 14.

In addition, he lamented a “lack of personnel” at the prisons, saying that a total staff of 345 people are expected to manage the north’s two prisons.

He added that prisoners in the north are provided with television, air conditioning, and three meals a day, with a total cost of 736TL (€25.57) per prisoner per day.