Turkey’s prison population has reached 433,520, exceeding the official capacity by 128,564 and pushing occupancy to about 142 percent, according to Justice Ministry data. According to Justice Ministry data, the average area per inmate, excluding sports halls and exercise yards, fell from 29.2 square meters in 2023 to 24.6 square meters in 2024 and 24 square meters in 2025. Turkey has long struggled with prison overcrowding, with the number of inmates exceeding official capacity despite the expansion of the prison system. According to the Council of Europe’s 2025 Annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations (SPACE I) report, Turkey had the highest prison population among the 51 prison administrations covered by the report. Its non-adjusted prison population rate stood at 458.1 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, more than four times the European median of 110.1.