Eight people died in Estonian prisons in the period from September 1, 2022, to September 1, 2023, five less than in the same period last year, writes Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise to the Minister of Justice. Five people died of health problems, two committed suicide and one died of a methadone overdose.

The internal audit of the prisons found weaknesses in the exchange of information within the prisons. Prison staff do not receive information about emergencies quickly enough, resulting in shortcomings in the speed of response to events and the speed with which ambulances are called.

The Chancellor of Justice has also pointed out the same problem in her recommendations for 2021-2022 and 2020-2021.

The Chancellor of Justice proposes the installation of secure chambers for the detention of persons showing aggressive symptoms and calls for a more thorough analysis of the internal refurbishment of these rooms, as the inspection of Tartu Prison in 2021 revealed its shortcomings.

However, according to the expert, such rooms should not be used for people who are restless and could injure themselves due to metal beds, sharp edges and lack of windows. This was confirmed by the case of suicide analyzed in the recommendation.

Madise recommends taking a cue from Turkey, where the walls and floor are covered with soft materials.

The Chancellor of Justice recommends that prisons stock safe, tear-resistant clothing, mattresses, and bedding to provide to suicidal inmates as needed. In last year's letter of recommendation, the Chancellor of Justice made a similar recommendation after a suicide using a pillowcase as a hanging device.

In addition to providing cells, the Chancellor of Justice draws attention to prison video surveillance. Both suicides were under video surveillance, but the video footage was not monitored, and the camera placement did not allow us to see everything happening inside the chamber. 

In the letter of recommendation, the Chancellor of Justice also mentions the underdeveloped surveillance operations, which make it difficult to continuously monitor prisoners on video while performing other duties. It is also impossible to get an adequate view of the prisoner's condition from the cell's observation window.

Prisoners who are bedridden still do not have call buttons to signal their deteriorating health. The Chancellor of Justice also raised this issue last year.

The question of whether and under what conditions prisoners could be involved in end-of-life care and treatment of the seriously ill, as well as what training they should receive, has been unresolved since last year.

At present, prisoners do not receive any vocational or appropriate training to care for fellow inmates, and there is a risk that they may harm rather than help in case of emergency. 

The Chancellor of Justice praised the prison service's efforts to improve guidelines and standards for death prevention. She also acknowledges the importance of informing prisoners' relatives in a timely manner in the event of a sudden deterioration in their health.

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