Prison Overcrowding in Hungary is Inhuman

Prison overcrowding in Hungary leads to inhuman and degrading conditions, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on March 10. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee provided legal representation in the case. The organization has pointed out that the problem is systemic: Hungarian penal policies force thousands to be held in pre-trial detention without any justification. The court said that inadequate sleeping arrangements, insect infestation and poor ventilation, among other things, had amounted to degrading treatment. Some 450 other cases on prison overcrowding are still before the court.