Estonia is considering innovative ways to balance its budget, including renting out prison beds to other countries. Justice Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta proposed this strategy to cut operating costs and boost revenues within the Baltic nation’s Prisons Department. With a current capacity of 3,334 beds and an inmate population of 1,841, Estonia is exploring options like selling off or leasing prisons, or welcoming foreign inmates to fill empty cells. Pakosta even humorously suggested they could do “Airbnb, figuratively speaking.”
Other European countries have successfully implemented similar strategies in the past, with nations like the Netherlands and the UK turning to foreign partnerships to manage prison overcrowding. If Estonia chooses to downsize its Prisons Department, the minister mentioned that private investors might purchase one of the facilities. Despite these changes, all Estonian prisons are relatively new and have layouts suitable for alternative uses like social housing or hotels. This creative approach to financial management highlights Estonia’s commitment to finding innovative solutions to budget challenges.