The Ministry of Justice wants to bring up to 600 prisoners from Sweden to Tartu Prison. There are many empty prison places in Estonia. Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said that the agreement does not describe how it will affect the work of the prosecutor's office.
Asi explained that, like Estonian prisoners, Swedish prisoners may also commit crimes in prison. "Clashes with guards, disputes with other prisoners, and the use of prohibited substances are common," said Asi. Estonia must investigate all these cases, which takes a lot of time and resources.
Asi emphasized that the South Estonia Prosecutor's Office does not have enough people to investigate all cases. This means that some local crimes remain uninvestigated.
Another problem is the language barrier. Many Swedish prisoners do not speak English. Translation is necessary for proceedings, but there are few interpreters for Swedish, Arabic, and other languages in Estonia. Asi suggests that Sweden should pay for interpreters.
Asi also noted that English will become the main language in Tartu Prison. This may reduce the use of the Estonian language. The prosecutor's office supports the agreement only if their comments are taken into account.
The agreement will be signed on June 18 in Stockholm. It is valid for five years and can be extended. Estonia will receive 30.6 million euros annually from Sweden, even if fewer prisoners are brought.