Estonian prisoners are prolific filers of complaints, placing a significant burden on the courts. Prisoner complaints account for more than a quarter of all administrative court cases.
In 2025, prisoners filed a total of 908 complaints with the Tallinn and Tartu administrative courts, accounting for 27 percent of all administrative court cases. More than 680 complaints have been filed in the first nine months of this year.
The courts are preparing for an increase in complaints and their workload, involving both Swedish and Estonian prisoners.
"If around 600 prisoners are brought to Estonia and they file complaints at a similar rate to Estonian prisoners, we could expect approximately 300 complaints a year," said Kaupo Kruusvee, chairman of Tallinn Administrative Court.
He noted that the first complaints have already been filed by Estonian prisoners who believe that inmates transferred from Sweden enjoy better conditions.
Attorney Katarina Talumäe did not rule out the possibility that some of these complaints could be justified.
"One of the most significant long-term consequences of the prison rental agreement could actually be a positive impact, in some respects, on how Estonia's existing prison system operates," she added.
The courts will decide whether and under what circumstances the complaints are justified. According to court data, approximately 1.5 percent of prisoners' complaints have been upheld so far.
Prisoners challenge a wide range of issues, from living conditions to access to medical care.
Swedish prisoners have also raised their concerns with the chancellor of justice. They are dissatisfied with living conditions and see the language barrier as another problem.
Talumäe noted that foreign prisoners have also raised concerns about maintaining contact with family members and other loved ones in Sweden.
"This could result in additional, disproportionate costs for prisoners. Questions about whether certain restrictions are proportionate could ultimately lead to cases being brought before the administrative courts," she said.
According to Merle Ulst, director of Tartu Prison, the complaints are to be expected.
"We are examining the chancellor of justice's findings very carefully and will provide a response to the chancellor in early December," Ulst said.
Talumäe said that many complaints already consume court resources unnecessarily. However, there are currently no effective ways to limit the number of complaints.
"To my knowledge, the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs also has information on the number of disputes and we have suggested looking into how other countries handle the situation," Kruusvee said.
"There is also information suggesting that prisoners in neighboring countries do not turn to the courts nearly as frequently. It might be worth analyzing why this practice is so much more widespread in Estonia," he added.
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