The new architectural design for a prison in Nuuk receives EU criticism for being overcrowded.

When Nuuk's new prison, Ny Anstalt, opened in 2019, it was met with praise from the architects for the conditions for the 76 inmates it could house.

Six years later, the prison is overcrowded to such an extent that the European Council's Torture Committee is criticizing it.

Overcrowding means that in several individual cells, two inmates are living, according to the committee in a new report after a visit in January.

It is criticized, says Aaja Chemnitz, Greenlandic member of parliament for the party IA.

- We have had a single case where a young inmate has acted aggressively towards an older inmate, because they were in the same cell, she says.

The prison houses several of the hardest-core prisoners who have been sentenced to indefinite imprisonment.

The European Council's Torture Committee reports that overcrowding means that convicted inmates in several cases are celled with remand prisoners. This can be problematic, as the inmates then have to give up basic rights.

Aaja Chemnitz explains that she has met with Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard several times to discuss the lack of capacity in the Greenlandic legal system.

- It puts increased pressure on the Danish government to prioritize money to increase capacity and take the necessary measures, says Aaja Chemnitz.

The European Council's Torture Committee reports generally that conditions are good for the inmates in Nuuk. The building receives praise, and the activation of the prisoners is, in general, satisfactory.

However, it is the clear recommendation that the Danish government ensures that the use of alternative measures is increased to meet capacity challenges.

The Greenlandic legal system is administered by Denmark, and here Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard is aware of the challenges.

There are problems with capacities in the prisons both in Denmark and Greenland, he says.

The problem will be addressed, says Peter Hummelgaard.

- In connection with the upcoming criminal reform, we will therefore also - in addition to the capacity in the criminal justice system in Denmark - look at the capacity in the Greenlandic institutions to handle the challenges posed by a lack of space, which the Criminal Justice System in Greenland is currently facing and in the long term, says Peter Hummelgaard.

Here the Greenlandic parliament, Naalakkersuisut, will be involved, it sounds.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.