Prison overcrowding, staff shortages and serious security concerns at Cyprus Central Prisons are putting both employees and inmates at risk, according to George Maltezos, president and spokesperson of the Isotita Trade Union’s Prison Guards’ Branch Council.
Speaking on Sigma TV’s Protoselido programme, Maltezos said there are cases in which just one or two prison officers are expected to supervise between 100 and 120 inmates.
He also described the case of a 23-year-old colleague who considered resigning only a few months after being hired because of the working conditions.
“Stop treating us as individual units and start making us teams,” he said.
Central Prisons exceed capacity by more than 400 inmates
Maltezos also highlighted the scale of prison overcrowding, citing figures showing that 1,183 inmates are currently being held at Central Prisons, despite the facilities having a capacity of 780.
This means the prison population exceeds the institution’s capacity by 403 inmates.
Call for a new prison facility
The prison guards’ representative stressed the urgent need to build a new correctional facility, arguing that the existing premises are outdated and no longer meet current requirements.
He warned that the conditions pose serious risks to both prison staff and those in custody.
Also read: Cyprus ranks first in EU for long working hours among care workers
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