The National Authority for the Prevention of Torture has raised concerns about conditions in German prisons, labeling some situations as “inhuman” because of severe overcrowding. According to reports citing the authority, housing more than two prisoners in a single cell should be prevented entirely, as this arrangement is stressful even if the room size is adequate and can readily lead to conflicts and crises.
The Authority pointed out that privacy is especially compromised in shared sanitary facilities when cells are overoccupied. Several states, including Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony, and Saarland, are facing critical capacity shortages. The organization insists that the immediate establishment of housing situations compliant with constitutional standards for detainees is essential. In some correctional institutions, population density has reached such extreme levels that inmates are reportedly having to sleep on the floor.
Furthermore, the Authority criticized the conditions faced by mentally ill prisoners. It noted a widespread and critical lack of specialized physicians and therapists across Germany for providing psychososial treatment within prisons. The consequences for those affected are described as grave. Due to the shortage of therapy slots, inmates are sometimes kept in isolation cells for weeks or months-a practice the Authority views as an abuse of purpose that constitutes “inhuman or degrading treatment.”
The National Authority for the Prevention of Torture is an independent German body tasked with monitoring compliance with human rights in institutions such as prisons, psychiatric facilities, and elderly homes through regular, unannounced visits. It was established as part of a supplementary protocol to the UN Anti-Torture Convention.
