Overcrowding in correctional facilities increases assaults on correctional officers and accidents

As correctional facility occupancy rates have risen sharply over the past few years, both correctional officers and inmates are under greater strain. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the occupancy rate of correctional facilities at the end of last year was 127.7%, meaning far more people were being held than the facilities were designed for. Staffing increases have not kept pace with the growth in the inmate population. The number of correctional civil servants, which stood at 16,278 in 2021, rose only slightly to 16,754 last year, and correctional officers who directly manage inmates make up only a portion of the total workforce. As a result, one correctional officer is still responsible for 30 to 40 inmates. Overcrowding has also led to more incidents in the field. Assault cases against correctional officers by inmates increased from 157 in 2016 to 629 last year, and there were also many cases in which inmates filed complaints or criminal charges against correctional officers. The correctional authorities explained that, due to budget and staffing shortages, frontline staff are also having to take on education and management duties.