Luxembourg's prisoners are ageing

The Luxembourg Minister of Justice, Elisabeth Margue, answered parliamentary questions regarding the work of the penitentiary system. Among the key topics were the low occupancy rate of Centre Pénitentiaire de Givenich, the trend of ageing prisoners and plans to reform the legislation.

The semi-open Centre Pénitentiaire de Givenich operates with an occupancy rate of just above 50%. The reasons were:

• Decisions of the Attorney General on the allocation of prisoners.
• Transfers to other institutions for disciplinary or medical reasons.
• The need for prisoners to have social connections outside prison, which is not always possible.

It is noteworthy that the centre has never reached its full capacity in the last 10 years. The maximum number of prisoners was recorded in March 2016 - 104 people.

All prisons in Luxembourg are experiencing an increase in the number of older prisoners. This causes additional difficulties such as medical care, access to work and the need for specialised equipment.

Transfers between Centre Pénitentiaire de Givenich and other penitentiary institutions take place in accordance with the laws. For example, Article 680 of the Criminal Code provides for transfers to Centre Pénitentiaire de Givenich for prisoners with stable behaviour who are ready for re-socialisation. However, violations of the rules may result in a reverse transfer.

There has been one recorded incident during transfer in the last 5 years, which occurred on 27 November 2024.

The Minister referred to Bill No. 7869, which should adapt the legislation for better implementation. Changes are expected in the structure of the internal regimes of prisons. Incidents are also being analysed in order to improve the security of staff.