Thuringia wanted to have nationalized the care of mentally ill offenders again by the end of the year. The goal has only been partially achieved. State Secretary after work speaks of a complex undertaking.
Mühlhausen (dpa/th) - After more than 20 years of privatization, the penal system for mentally ill offenders in Mühlhausen is now back under the sovereignty of the state. The contract for the transfer of the penal system from the Ecumenical Hainich Clinic to the Free State of Thuringia had been notarized, said Secretary of State for Social Affairs Ines Feierabend of the German Press Agency. "As of January 1, 2023, we will take over a very well-functioning and high-quality forensic institution."
According to the managing director of the Ökumenische Hainich Klinikum gGmbH, Klaus-Peter Fiege, 140 employees are supporting the change to the state as an employer. Nine employees objected to this for various reasons and would continue to be employed in normal clinic operations.
The state secretary said that the forensic treatment at Helios Fachkliniken Hildburghausen GmbH should be nationalized by the end of March 2023 at the latest. The approximately 150 employees there would receive corresponding letters before Christmas. Originally it was planned to place the penal system in Mühlhausen and Hildburghausen back under state aegis by the end of the year.
State Secretary Feierabend spoke of a "very complex undertaking". A lot of conversations are needed. Among other things, it is also about the acquisition of the corresponding real estate. The reorganization of the forensic treatment in the Asklepios Fachklinikum Stadtroda GmbH can only take place after 2032 due to a longer contract period.
According to Feierabend, around 26.5 million euros are estimated in the state budget for material and personnel costs in Mühlhausen and Hildburghausen in the coming year. For the external monitoring of the process, for example by auditors and lawyers, expenses of 200,000 to 250,000 euros can be expected.
The so-called correctional facility for the care of mentally ill or addicted offenders was privatized in Thuringia in 2002. In 2019, the country decided to return the prison to state care. In doing so, the Free State wants to rule out the risk of conflicts of interest through economic incentives and intentions to make a profit.
According to the information, the hospitals in Hildburghausen and Mühlhausen have around 210 places for convicted criminals who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs. According to earlier information, there are around 80 places in Stadtroda.
