The Most Escape-Prone Prison Systems In Europe

A prison also referred to as a jail or correctional facility. It is a place where the state forcibly confines all inmates and denies them freedom for a certain period. Correctional facilities are used in the criminal justice systems and individuals can be imprisoned after being sentenced or while waiting for their trial. Prisons are supposed to be the hardest facilities to escape from, but inmates still manage to break out by sipping through the cracks. Some of the most escape-prone systems in Europe include:

1. Finland

Finland is known for having the best prisoner’s rights in the world, and this has contributed to them having the lowest incarceration rate in the continent. The country has been praised for its ‘’open prisons’’ system which allows the inmates to move freely in the community during the day shopping, studying and working. The system costs less to manage as compared to locking up inmates the traditional way, but it makes it very easy for prisoners to escape.

Finland has the most escape-prone system in Europe with about 1,084 escapes in every 10,000prisoners. About one in every ten inmates escaped in 2013. Even under supervision, the Finnish inmates are the most slippery with 45 escapees in every 10,000 closed inmates.

2. Belgium

Numerous international bodies have criticized Belgium for having the worst prisons in Europe, and the European court of human rights has ruled against them multiple times. The strained relationship between the inmates and the guards has resulted in some prisoners being mistreated. In Belgium, the law holds that escaping is human nature; therefore no extra time is added to the sentences of the escapees if they do not break any other law while escaping. Belgium ranks second in the list of the most escape-prone jail systems in Europe. Belgium had over 602 escapees per 10,000inmates back in 2013.

3. Switzerland

The jails in Switzerland are managed by the Swiss cantons which are responsible for enforcing the law in the nation. The country had over 124prisons by 2008, and their facilities meet the international standards. One of the main problems in their prison system is overcrowding, especially in Bern, Zurich, and Geneva. The country had 597 escapees per 10,000prisoners in 2013.

4. Macedonia

Macedonia is one of the most prosperous countries of the former Yugoslavia and also the most escape-prone. The state had one of the most crowded jails in Europe until 2018 when their parliament passed the amnesty law which planned to release over 670 prisoners. It will also help reduce the jail term of inmates serving less than five years by 30%, and hopefully, this will reduce the rate of jail escapes. The country had 453 escapees in every 10,000 inmates.

Is Escaping Prison An Offense?

Most countries like the United States and Russia have laws against prison escape and escapees gets time added to their sentences. The prisoners are also placed under tight securities in these countries. In Austria, Germany, Belgium, and Mexico escaping from prison is not illegal, and the escapees do not get extra time for breaking out of jail. In Mexico, the correctional officers are allowed to shoot anyone trying to escape, and the escape becomes illegal once they use violence while escaping.