Germany
Capital city — Berlin
Latest updates
Sentence adjustments can be granted during the incarceration
The release on parole is possible after half of the sentence is served for:
- sentences of less than two years
- first time conviction
The reduction in sentence is seldom granted. Release on parole is more often granted after two-thirds of the sentence is served.1 People sentenced to life imprisonment must serve 15 years of their sentence before they can apply for parole.2 The Federal Justice administration stated that only about one prisoner in ten (11.6%) in Berlin is released after two thirds of their sentence.
Frieder Dünkel, “The prison system in Germany” in The prison systems in the world, 2017, p. 20. ↩
Frieder Dünkel, “Le système pénitentiaire allemand”, février 2024, p. 12 (in French). ↩
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Following the recent legalisation of cannabis, dozens of incarcerated people have been released in North Rhine-Westphalia. Numerous cases are being reviewed individually.
Number and percentage of foreign prisoners
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The percentage of foreign nationals incarcerated in Hamburg’s prisons is 58%, according to the Hamburg Senate. It announced that 1,251 people without German passports were incarcerated as of 31 May 2024.
The prison service keeps record of incidents
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A person incarcerated at Aschaffenburg Prison set fire to his mattress. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital. Several surveillance officers were treated for possible smoke inhalation. The motive for the incident remains unknown.
Number of escapes
303
The number of escapes decreased by 4.11% between January 2020 (316)1 and January 2021 (303).
Council of Europe, SPACE I, 2020 Report, p. 117. ↩
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An incarcerated man made an escape attempt from Heidering Prison, south of Berlin. He was caught while trying to leave through a hole in the fence, assisted by three people. His accomplices have not been found.
Number of violent acts against prison staff
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The prison service offers activities to prisoners
yes
The NPM reports a limited offering of sports and professional activities.
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A writing workshop was organised at Hahnöfersand Prison with the participation of an author. The incarcerated people’s work was published online.
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Berlin artist Patricia Thoma offers comic book workshops to prisoners in various German prisons. At Stammheim Prison in Stuttgart, the prisoners address the topic of violence by examining the history of the terrorist actions committed by the Red Army Faction. The results of these workshops will be presented at the Stadtmuseum Stuttgart.
Number of recorded violent acts between prisoners
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In the prisons of Berlin, 218 assaults between prisoners were recorded in July 2022, compared with 319 in July 2021. Seventy-three fights and assaults were recorded within the juvenile correctional facility of Berlin. The Heidering prison, south of the capital, noted 63 acts of violence. Tegel correctional facility tallied 44 violent acts; the Moabit remand centre, 21. Three assaults were documented in the Berlin women’s prison.
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An altercation between three prisoners at Fuhlsbüttel Prison resulted in two people being injured. The attacker used nail scissors to inflict the injuries. Although the injuries were not life-threatening, one of the prisoners had to be transported to a hospital for treatment.
Some prison facilities, units or cells implement high-security measures
Celle prison, in Lower Saxony, has a high-security (Sicherheitsstation) unit which has a capacity of ten people. Stammheim prison, in Stuttgart, also has a high-security unit which was built in the 1970s. In the first instance it is reserved for prisoners convicted of terrorism, notably members of the Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion, RAF).
CCTV:
CCTV is only authorised in certain cases when the authorities assess that is necessary for ensuring safety. The justification for CCTV must be stated in official documents and the individual concerned must have been warned. The camera being visible is not enough; the individual must be aware if the camera is recording.
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The solicitor for Daniela Klette, a former Red Army Faction terrorist, criticised inappropriate prison conditions in Vechta Prison including constant video surveillance, isolation, and lack of access to books, newspapers and pens. The Ministry for Justice in Lower Saxony denied allegations of ill-treatment, and the department’s spokesperson confirmed that these measures were imposed by the prison service and were appropriate.
Number of prison guards (FTE)
2,014
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According to the prison officer union (BSBD), 2,000 posts are vacant in the prison sector.
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The expected number of personnel for the future Zwickau correctional facility is insufficient, according to the Association of Prison Officers of Saxony and Thuringia. Staff scheduling would not meet the requirements of the modern prison system. A wave of retirements was announced for 2025, with one in five employees needing to be replaced in Zeithain and Zwickau in Saxony and in Hohenleuben in Thuringia.
Prisoners are allowed to keep themselves informed regularly on public affairs
yes
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Andreas Krebs began a hunger strike to protest the removal of newspapers and brochures following an inspection of his cell. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said these documents made reference to the “left-wing extremist scene”.