- 39 B. Prison establishments 1. Preliminary remarks 61. The CPT is concerned that the Greek prison system is reaching breaking point and yet, despite the numerous warnings, the authorities have not taken up the fundamental structural issues raised in the Committee’s previous reports with the necessary urgency. They include the lack of a strategic plan to manage prisons, which are complex institutions, the absence of an effective system of reporting and supervision, and inadequate management of staff. The findings from the 2015 visit highlight that the main problems of overcrowding and chronic shortage of staff persist in the Greek prison system. These two overarching problems compound the many additional serious shortcomings in the prisons visited, including very poor material conditions, lack of hygiene, the absence of an appropriate regime and high levels of interprisoner violence and intimidation. Further, the insufficient provision and inadequate medical care in prisons is particularly worrying. The situation has now deteriorated to the point where over and above the serious illtreatment concerns under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), there are very real right to life issues under Article 2 ECHR, in as much as vulnerable prisoners are not being cared for and, in some cases, are being allowed to die (see paragraph 88). 62. According to the official figures published by the Ministry of Justice, the overall capacity of the prison system stood at 9,886 while the numbers of prisoners held was 11,569 on 16 April 2015. However, the distribution of prisoners across the prison estate remains uneven. For example, while three establishments (Chania, Domokos and Nigrita) are operating at around only 50% of their capacity and have some 1,000 unused places, other prisons are functioning at 200% or more of their official capacity (Korydallos Men’s Prison and Prison Hospital, Alikarnassos and Komotini) and others (Ioannina, Nafplio and Thessaloniki) at more than 150%. The Greek authorities have introduced several measures in recent years to reduce the prison population, such as early release measures.44 Additional steps are currently being taken by the Government such as increased use of alternatives to imprisonment and early release of disabled and elderly prisoners.45 By communication of 30 June 2015, the Ministry of Justice informed the CPT that in the two months since the visit 1,795 prisoners had been released, including 367 foreign nationals who had completed their sentences but were being held in prison pending deportation. As a consequence, the prison population stood at 10,177 – a reduction of 12% since the visit. This represents a very positive start upon which to build. 44 45 See, for example, the report on the CPT’s 2011 visit: CPT/Inf (2012) 1, paragraph 47. See Law 4322/2015 (Government Gazette A’ 42/27.04.2015) which provides for emergency measures to relieve overcrowding in Greek prisons (Article 12). It also allows for the release of all inmates over 75 years of age sentenced up to 10 years (Article 3) and for life-sentenced prisoners with more than 80% disability to serve their sentence under house arrest (Article 6), and includes relevant provisions for juvenile offenders and juvenile prisoners (Article 9).