Estonia is exploring a surprising new idea to cut costs: turning its empty prison cells into rentals for other countries. With fewer local inmates due to a drop in crime, the government is considering leasing out prison space, almost like an “Airbnb for prisoners.” This plan could bring in extra money or even lead to one of the country’s prisons being sold off. The concept follows a trend in Europe where nations have shared prison space before, making Estonia’s proposal both bold and intriguing.
Estonia is exploring a creative way to save money by potentially renting out empty prison cells to other countries. Justice Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta recently proposed this idea as a way to help balance the national budget, according to a report from the Estonian public broadcaster ERR.
Estonia’s prison system currently has space for 3,334 inmates, but only 1,841 prisoners are actually being held. This leaves nearly half of the beds empty. The drop in the prison population over the years is due to Estonians becoming more law-abiding, according to the minister.
With so much unused space, Pakosta suggested several options to reduce costs. One idea is to rent out prison cells to other countries that are struggling with overcrowded prisons. She even likened this concept to creating an “Airbnb for prisons,” where Estonia would host foreign prisoners for a fee.
This isn’t a completely new idea. In the past, countries like the Netherlands have rented out their extra prison space to other nations. For example, overcrowded Norwegian prisons have used Dutch facilities to house some of their inmates. Similarly, the UK has considered similar arrangements with Norway and Belgium.
If Estonia decides not to rent out the prisons, another option would be to close one of its three facilities and possibly sell it to a private investor. The country’s prisons are relatively new and could be repurposed as social housing or hotels due to their modern designs.
In summary, Estonia is thinking outside the box to manage its prison system more efficiently, whether by renting out cells to other countries or repurposing the buildings for other uses. This approach could provide a significant boost to the national budget.
