The Prison Service requires new recruits to have citizenship, proficiency in Estonian, a secondary education, a clean background, and — if they are to wear a uniform — the ability to pass a physical fitness test.

Recruitment efforts will focus on career changers and people entering the labor market. If employees continue to develop in their roles — for example, by obtaining escort authorization or a firearms permit — their salary could rise to €3,000 per month.

Following the Swedish parliament's approval on Wednesday of a prison lease agreement between Estonia and Sweden, the first Swedish inmates could arrive in Estonia in August. By next year, there could be up to 600 of them in Tartu.

For the agreement to take effect, it still needs to be ratified by the Estonian parliament (Riigikogu). According to the plan, this could happen on June 10.

A day later, the government could decide on the budgetary aspects of the prison lease, and for the agreement to enter into force, President Alar Karis must formally proclaim the international treaty. The agreement will take effect after the parties exchange diplomatic notes.

Gradual arrival

"From there, practical steps will begin," said Tiina Unuks, head of the Prison Service's Department for the Organization of Prison Operations.

"We are working on the assumption that the first Swedish inmates could arrive at Tartu Prison in August," Unuks said.

"Inmates would arrive gradually. Starting from the agreement's entry into force in August, about 100 prisoners would come, with up to 200 in Tartu by the end of the year, and by around the same time next year the agreement foresees up to 600 Swedish inmates being housed in Tartu," she added.

Current inmates held in Tartu Prison will be transferred to Viru and Tallinn prisons after the agreement is ratified, allowing time to refurbish facilities and carry out renovations before the Swedish inmates arrive.

Unuks estimates that relocating Tartu's current inmates could be completed within two months. The exact number of prisoners to be transferred to Estonia is not yet clear, she noted.

Translation devices

To facilitate communication with Swedish inmates, the Prison Service plans to provide English-language training for officers, as most inmates transferred from Sweden are expected to speak English.

Translation devices will also be used to enable basic communication, and interpreters will be available if necessary. Around 10 Swedish officials are also expected to come to Tartu to assist when needed.

"I believe we can handle it. Even now, we have had situations in prison where we've had to communicate with someone who doesn't speak any language the officer speaks, and we've managed so far," Unuks said.

Visitors in Tartu

Estonia does not expect a high level of visits from family or others to inmates brought to Tartu.

"We are working to ensure that not many people will choose to make the trip to Tartu," Unuks said.

"Visits are decided by Estonia, based on prior security background checks. You cannot simply show up at Tartu Prison and say, 'Hello, I've arrived,'" she added.

Inmates will also be allowed to maintain contact with their families through video calls, which is expected to reduce the need for in-person visits. Sweden also does not plan to transfer inmates who have family members in Sweden.

Unuks noted that Estonian officials had visited Swedish prisons and observed that there is not a strong visitation culture there. In her estimate, Tartu Prison might receive visits from tens or perhaps a few hundred people per year.

State revenue

According to the agreement awaiting ratification by parliament, Sweden will pay Estonia €30.6 million annually for up to 300 inmates, plus €8,500 per month for each additional prisoner.

For the first year, Sweden will pay €23 million — 75 percent of the annual capacity — during which the prison will only reach full occupancy by the end of the year.

Based on cost projections, the average annual cost for 300 inmates is estimated at approximately €28.9 million, excluding one-off expenses, which will be covered separately. The average cost of the service is estimated at €26.8 million.

With 300 inmates, operating costs would be covered by January 2027, and the one-time investment recouped by February 2028. If more than 300 inmates arrive, the payback period will be shorter; with 600 inmates, operating costs would be covered by January 2027 and the initial investment recovered by July 2027.

Benefits for Estonia

The state expects additional revenue from income taxes paid on salaries, and the regional economy around Tartu is also likely to benefit, as most employees are expected to live locally.

Unuks added that beyond potential revenue, it is also beneficial for Estonia that Tartu Prison remains operational and retains skilled staff with funding from Sweden.

"In Sweden's case, they closed several prisons when inmate numbers dropped. Now they are in a situation where they do not have available prison space. Sweden currently has over 11,000 inmates and is building capacity for 17,000. There is already a shortage of 2,000 places, and they predict there will be 34,000 inmates in ten years," Unuks explained. "The Netherlands had a similar situation."

"For Tartu Prison, it is important that if the number of our own inmates begins to rise, we have the capacity to accommodate them," she added.

Estonia currently has over 3,000 prison places, of which about 1,700 are in use.

"It is easier for us to maintain the infrastructure, retain the staff, and preserve the expertise so that if something happens, we already have the capacity and do not need to start building prisons or recruiting and training staff from scratch," Unuks said.

She added that if the need for incarceration in Estonia were to increase — for example, due to cases involving individuals from third countries — the existence of Tartu Prison would be important.

"In that case, we would have a large workforce in Tartu with experience working with people from different cultural backgrounds, and we would be better equipped to deal with our own inmates as well because we would already have that experience from Swedish prisoners," she said.

"This experience is not only needed by us. Looking at future trends, other security agencies will also need it, and Tartu Prison provides an opportunity to develop our own people — not just for us but for others as well," she added.

In case of termination of the agreement

The opposition has promised to cancel the agreement if it comes to power. Unuks said that under the terms of the contract, it can be terminated with one year's notice. If it were cancelled, the Prison Service would then analyze what to do with Tartu Prison next.

"Would there be a need for a thousand detention places in Tartu — also in the event of hybrid warfare or mass immigration — or not? That would then be a decision for the government and the ruling coalition at that time," she added.

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