Foundation stone laid for Turku prison expansion adding 143 cells

The foundation stone for a 143-cell expansion of Turku Prison was laid Thursday, with the new facility set to open in early 2028, state property agency Senaatti-kiinteistöt announced.

The expansion will bring the prison’s total capacity to roughly 400 inmates, making it one of Finland’s largest correctional facilities. Construction on the 9,400-square-meter building began this spring, with completion scheduled for November 2027 under a €53 million alliance-model contract. Lujatalo Oy serves as the contractor.

A time capsule embedded in the foundation stone contains the expansion’s blueprints, a current local newspaper, Finland’s circulating coins, a greeting from Justice Minister Leena Meri, and an old key from the historic Kakola Prison. The capsule also includes the facility’s foundational charter.

The project addresses rising inmate numbers in Finland. Anna Arola-Järvi, director-general of the Criminal Sanctions Agency, noted that space for a third cellblock was deliberately reserved when the prison was originally built in Turku’s Saramäki district two decades ago.

“It was a far-sighted decision to leave that plot vacant,” Arola-Järvi said. “Now we can add a cohesive extension with new units that fit seamlessly into the existing complex.”