Hämeenlinna prison relocates modular cells to ease severe overcrowding in women’s facility

Finland’s only closed women’s prison in Hämeenlinna has installed 32 prefabricated cells transferred from a decommissioned facility in Pelson, northern Finland, to alleviate chronic overcrowding, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The modular units, relocated from the now-shuttered Pelson prison in Vaala, will add capacity for 32 inmates by the end of the year. Overcrowding at Hämeenlinna had grown so acute that some prisoners were forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor.

“This is a direct lifeline for our crisis here,” said Minna Saukko, director of the Häme and Pirkanmaa criminal sanctions agency. The new units include a relocated sauna and will feature an outdoor exercise area.

Finland’s prisons currently hold 3,805 inmates—117.9% of official capacity in closed facilities, well above the 90% threshold considered safe by the Criminal Sanctions Agency (Rise). Hämeenlinna’s 120-bed prison housed roughly 140 women as of Monday, with peaks reaching 160.

The modular cells, with an estimated 10-year service life, cost about one-third the rent of newly constructed prison spaces, according to Mikko Järvinen of Senate Properties. The units will operate semi-independently from the main prison, focusing on rehabilitation programs.

Expansion will create new jobs for guards and staff in Hämeenlinna and the nearby Kylmäkoski prison, though exact numbers remain unconfirmed. Inmates in the new units will prepare their own meals, part of a broader shift toward self-sufficiency in the facility.