Prison project for drug-addicted inmates initiated in 2 cities

ANKARA

The Justice Ministry has selected two cities, Bolu and Adana, for the establishment of specialized prisons that will encompass rehabilitation centers for drug-addicted convicts.

In March, the ministry initiated efforts to establish specialized prisons and created dedicated areas within existing detention facilities for the treatment and rehabilitation of inmates with substance abuse issues.

As part of the project, work on the first facilities in the northern city of Bolu and Adana in the country’s south has started in coordination with the Health Ministry, Enis Yavuz Yıldırım, a senior official from the ministry, said in a presentation to the parliamentary human rights investigation commission.

"We want to gather inmates in prisons specifically designed and built for this purpose. These facilities will encompass a comprehensive psychosocial service, complemented by psychiatric and pharmacological support extended by the Health Ministry,” he earlier said.

"While drug addiction is classified as a crime under our laws, it is also a malady requiring treatment. Providing only psychosocial support to these individuals is not enough; they must receive medical assistance.”

Providing information on certain statistics pertaining to the prison population, the official said that there are currently 340,268 detainees and convicts across the country, with drug-related offenses comprising a prominent 36 percent of the crimes.

He attributed this prevalence not to the pervasiveness of drug abuse, but to Türkiye’s stringent penal policies regarding such offenses. Yıldırım emphasized that, in contrast to Western nations, the Turkish penal system is characterized by a more draconian approach to drug-related crimes.