Estonia's crime rate is so low that prisons may be rented out

In recent years, the country of 1.3 million people has benefited from a relatively low crime rate, meaning that its three prisons have been only half empty. The ministry hopes that renting out space could be a welcome boon for government finances.

Estonia's new government has introduced a series of tax increases and budget cuts, and is also planning to increase military spending to counter potential threats from Russia.

“Serious crime in Europe is increasing. There are only four countries in the EU where crime is slowly increasing,” said Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta in an interview with public broadcaster ERR published on Sunday. “Fortunately, Estonia is currently one of them.”

There are precedents for Pakosta's proposal: Norway rented space in Dutch prisons due to a lack of capacity. The Times reported that Britain's then-Justice Secretary Alex Chalk met with Estonian counterparts last year to consider a similar proposal.

The cabinet has not yet begun discussing the proposal. Before it can be implemented, it must be approved by parliament. It is not clear whether the measure would find enough support to pass.

Pakosta referred to an agreement under which Estonia is already holding three war criminals from other countries in Tartu Prison.

“By renting out prison space, we could reach a situation where we create significantly more jobs – jobs with completely adequate salaries,” Pakosta told ERR. “We could solve several problems related to the budget deficit.”