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Prison Report: Overcrowding, Security Gaps, and Suspicious Sick Leave

Published March 10, 2026, 09:13
Prison Report: Overcrowding, Security Gaps, and Suspicious Sick Leave

A special report by the Audit Office reveals serious weaknesses in the operation of the Prison Department, recording organizational problems, security gaps, and evidence of abuse of sick leave. The Central Prisons system faces overcrowding, with an increasing number of prisoners and a high recidivism rate (15%-20%). The report highlights the absence of comprehensive protocols for managing critical incidents, such as escapes or violence, as well as the lack of action plans and readiness exercises for riot control teams. Problems are also identified in personnel management, with incomplete attendance records and discrepancies between attendance records and payments. Particularly serious are the findings regarding sick leave, with cases of exceeding the annual limit of 42 days and discrepancies between medical certificates and registrations in the GHS system. In some cases, a large number of certificates from specific doctors were found without corresponding registered visits, suggesting possible fraud. The Audit Office will refer the matter to the competent authorities for investigation and recommends a complete reorganization of the Prison Department, with enhanced accountability, digitization of processes, and modernization of control mechanisms. The problems are characterized as systemic and require immediate action.