Overcrowded cells, staff shortages, violence among inmates, and unsatisfactory sanitary conditions — these are the problems that the new director of the Central Prison of Cyprus will have to deal with.

George Ioannou, former military attaché of Cyprus to the United States, will take office on November 2, 2026. Meanwhile, the reoffending rate among released Greek Cypriots has reached 43.69%, and construction of a new prison complex remains at the stage of research and planning.

The appointment of George Ioannou as the new director of the Central Prison comes at a time of serious problems in Cyprus’s penitentiary system. According to data from the Ministry of Justice presented in response to a parliamentary request by MP Andreas Constantinou on September 28, 2026, by August 2026 the share of Greek Cypriots who had been re-convicted and returned to prison stood at 43.69%.

This refers to people who had already served a prison sentence, been released, but subsequently received a new conviction and returned to custody. The Ministry of Justice acknowledges that social reintegration and employment of former prisoners play an important role in reducing recidivism. However, the capacity of existing programs is limited by the chronic overcrowding of the Central Prison. According to the ministry’s assessment, the lack of space and resources hinders individual work with inmates and reduces the effectiveness of rehabilitation.

According to new data, the share of re-convicted persons fell to 28.3% in 2023, but then began to rise again and reached 43.69% by August 2026.

These figures refer specifically to Greek Cypriots, not to all former prisoners. They also reflect return to prison after a new conviction, rather than all possible cases of repeat offenses. The official mission of the Cyprus Prisons Department includes ensuring security, protecting society, and preparing inmates for return to society after serving their sentence. However, the statistics on re-convictions call into question the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs.

Problems in the penitentiary system are confirmed by international reports. In a Council of Europe report published on May 19, 2026, Cyprus ranked among the European countries with particularly high prison overcrowding. In January 2025, there were 117 inmates for every 100 available places. Overall, the number of European penitentiary systems facing serious overcrowding increased from six in January 2024 to nine in January 2025.

The situation is further complicated by the detention of a large number of people in police holding facilities. Some of these individuals would normally be held in the Central Prison. To reduce the burden on the penitentiary system, certain police facilities were officially designated as places of detention on the basis of ministerial decrees.

Another indicator from the Council of Europe report concerns the nationality of inmates.

Foreign nationals make up 54% of Cyprus’s prison population, that is, more than half of all those in custody. The report also compares the average age of prisoners in European countries:

• European average — 39 years.
• Italy and Portugal — 42 years.
• Montenegro, Estonia, and Serbia — 41 years.
• Moldova — 30 years.
• Sweden — 34 years.
• France, Cyprus, and Denmark — 35 years.

Particular concern is raised by the findings of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Its report was published on December 10, 2025, following a special visit to Cyprus that took place from April 1 to 4, 2025. The Committee pointed to a number of serious problems:

• Overcrowding of cells. In rooms smaller than 6 square meters, up to four people could be held instead of one.
• Violation of sanitary conditions. Due to staff shortages, some inmates could not access the toilet at night andwere forced to use bottles and bags. The Committee described such conditions as degrading.
• Violence among inmates. Staff were not always able to guarantee the safety of those in custody.
• Inadequate conditions for minors. Problems with hygiene, education, and access to meaningful activities werenoted. The Committee demanded the urgent transfer of young inmates to suitable facilities.
• Insufficient attention to the needs of women. A specialized approach to the detention and rehabilitation of femaleprisoners was recommended.

At the same time, the CPT noted that compared with 2023 it had received significantly fewer complaints of physical violence by prison staff. However, the shortage of personnel remains a serious problem. According to the Committee, the insufficient number of staff working directly with inmates allowed the most influential groups to establish their own rules and impose unofficial punishments on other prisoners.

The Committee called on the Cypriot authorities to increase staffing, improve staff training, restore control over the situation in the facilities, and strengthen measures to prevent violence. Shortcomings in medical care, the need to protect patient confidentiality, and the development of a comprehensive suicide-prevention policy were also noted.

Cyprus Justice Minister Costas Fitiris stated his intention to address the overcrowding problem and build a new prison complex.

However, the project faces financial and organizational difficulties, as well as objections from local authorities. Initially, three possible sites were considered. Mathiatis was the preferred option, but it was abandoned due to the high cost of creating the necessary infrastructure.

The authorities are now examining the possibility of construction in the Agios Sozomenos area. A final decision is to be taken after the completion of studies and the preparation of a master plan with the support of the European Investment Bank. Fitiris promised to present the master plan to the interested municipalities so that they could familiarize themselves with the project and submit comments. Completion of construction in 2027 is not planned. The authorities’ goal is to bring construction equipment onto the site by the end of 2027.

The project has already met resistance at the local level. In mid-September, the municipalities of southern Nicosia — Idalion and Latsia-Geri — demanded that the decision to place the new Central Prison in this area be cancelled. Representatives of the municipalities stated that local authorities had not been properly involved in the decision-making process. Later, the minister held talks with representatives of the two municipalities in order to establish dialogue and discuss further steps.

The new director will have to address not only the problem of overcrowding but also long-standing difficulties in the work of prison staff.

As early as 2014, Savvas Christou, then commanding the police Mobile Immediate Action Unit (MMAD), prepared recommendations after his unit had worked for about a month in the Central Prison. At that time the institution had faced a series of inmate suicides: five such cases had occurred by then. An alleged rape of a 22-year-old inmate, in which four other inmates were suspected, was also under investigation.

In his letter, Christou pointed to a shortage of senior officers, insufficient supervision of staff work, the absence of regular meetings, and weak coordination among employees. Preparation for emergencies was minimal or practically non-existent. In his assessment, the heavy workload increased stress, worsened staff morale, and made it difficult to grant annual leave.

Many of these problems remain relevant today. In mid-September 2026, prison staff unions discussed the following issues with the Minister of Justice:

• Staff shortages and measures to attract new employees.
• Starting salary rates and professional development.
• Protection and training of workers.
• Creation of a maximum-security block and an immediate-response unit.
• Changes to the administrative structure of the penitentiary system.

Another long-standing problem is the use of mobile phones by inmates.

Despite previous statements by the authorities and attempts to introduce technical solutions, the mobile-signal blocking system in the Central Prison has not yet delivered the expected result.

On July 31, 2026, Justice Minister Costas Fitiris stated on ANT1 television that the problem should be resolved after the installation of a third signal-blocking system. In his assessment, the equipment was supposed to appear by the end of 2026.

Thus, the new leadership will have to simultaneously address issues of overcrowding, reoffending, staff shortages, inmate safety, and technical control inside the prison. The success of the reforms will depend not only on the new director but also on funding, personnel decisions, and the implementation of the plan to build a new complex.

https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/tyurmyi-kipra-na-grani-krizisa