Justice Minister Costas Fytiris announced the construction of a new prison outside the city and suspended plans to expand the existing Central Prisons, saying a site has been found for the new facility.
Fytiris made the announcement on Wednesday following his fourth visit to Central Prisons in less than a month, where he also said 90 prison officers would be recruited within the month.
The minister met with all off-duty staff and expressed new year wishes during a ceremony for personnel.
In his speech to staff, Fytiris said prison officers are the main factor in the success of the correctional system, provided it has a unified spirit, faith and will to implement regulations and ensures humane and dignified living conditions for inmates.
“A correctional institution is considered truly successful only when the people being punished serve their sentence and are released to integrate better into society,” he said. “This criterion judges the essence and effectiveness of correctional policy.”
The minister said state and ministry support is assured and announced measures, stressing that society demands tangible results, not just observations or intentions.
The measures include advertising 90 new prison officer positions within the month with mandatory training beforehand, upgrading and reopening the Prison Officers School, and advertising the Prison Director position.
A site has been found outside the urban fabric for a new, modern correctional facility meeting 21st century requirements, with architectural design, tendering and construction procedures to begin as soon as possible. Expansion of the existing Central Prison is suspended.
An automated staff evaluation system with daily scoring based on objective, transparent criteria will be established by the first half of 2026 to ensure equal treatment and merit-based assessment.
Other measures include continued decongestion through gradual reduction of minor offenders in cooperation with the Legal Service, installing an independent electronic camera monitoring system, enhancing nursing and psychosocial support for inmates and staff, and introducing a staff rotation system at regular intervals.
Fytiris repeated that the main goal of a modern correctional system is not only imprisonment but primarily the reintegration of inmates and strengthening public safety. He said his visits to Central Prisons will continue regularly.
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