Based on a nationwide inquiry conducted by the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Saturday edition) directed at state justice ministries and public prosecutors, at least 2,618 individuals in Germany have been unjustly incarcerated over recent years. According to the findings, the states collectively paid a minimum of 15 million euros between 2019 and 2025 to people who were wrongfully detained in prison or under pre-trial custody.
Authorities informed the newspaper that this figure likely significantly underestimates the true number of cases, or the “dark figure.” This is because several states do not collect data on compensation for wrongful detention, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, and Bavaria; while Bremen, Baden-Württemberg, and Lower Saxony only report insufficient data.
Separately, the Federal Ministry of Justice intends to increase the daily compensation for wrongful incarceration from 75 euros to 100 euros. An estimate based on older data suggests that this increase in costs would amount to nearly 2 million euros.
