Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture: Reducing and Preventing Prison Overcrowding

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) has submitted input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture for his thematic report on practical measures to reduce and prevent prison overcrowding. The submission examines the main drivers of prison overcrowding in Hungary and sets out measures to reduce unnecessary imprisonment and improve access to early release.

Despite a significant increase in prison capacity in recent years, overcrowding in Hungary persists. On 30 June 2026, the prison system was operating at 114% occupancy, with 26 of 30 institutions above capacity. The HHC stresses that building more prison places is not a sustainable solution to overcrowding. Instead, measures are needed to reduce unnecessary admissions to prison and to ensure that people are not kept in detention longer than necessary.

A substantial share of prison admissions stems from low-level offences, short-term confinement, and the conversion of fines and community service into imprisonment. Pre-trial detention also places significant pressure on the prison system. The submission therefore calls for stronger safeguards against unnecessary pre-trial detention, less reliance on imprisonment for low-level offending, and more effective use of non-custodial sanctions.

The HHC also recommends strengthening probation services and access to social support, expanding the use of restorative justice, and making early-release mechanisms more effective in practice. These measures should form part of a coordinated, evidence-based penal policy, supported by reliable data, to prevent overcrowding from recurring.

Read the full submission to the UN Special Rapporteur.