Prison report shows:

Each inmate costs us 182 euros per day

Prison report on high costs and fugitive offenders.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

The latest prison report reveals not only the costs of the prison system but also the number of fugitives—and that Austrians behind bars are already in the minority.

Explosive figures following parliamentary inquiries by Christian Lausch, a prison guard representing the FPÖ in the National Council. According to the report, a total of 18,812 criminals sentenced to prison terms were held last year in domestic correctional facilities as well as forensic-therapeutic institutions for mentally ill offenders. Not even half of them held an Austrian passport in 2025.

182.28 euros per day
And what were the average costs per day of incarceration? For taxpayers, these amounted to a hefty net sum of exactly 182.28 euros per prisoner per day.

The responses from the Ministry of Justice also provide interesting insights into relaxed prison conditions, such as unguarded outdoor work or vocational activities as day release inmates. 2,566 inmates enjoyed these benefits, plus more than 550 prisoners who were granted leave. Incidentally, as many as 106 inmates did not return to their respective cells.

66,532 euros per year

That is how much a prisoner cost taxpayers in 2025 if he was incarcerated in a correctional facility from January to December.

About 20 “prison leavees” remain missing
Currently, a search is still underway across the country for 21 of these “prison leavees.” “Our prisons are at capacity and overcrowded. But you don’t counteract that by generously granting leave and day release, which naturally provides an opportunity to escape,” criticizes Freedom Party politician Lausch. Furthermore, he says, the high proportion of foreigners behind bars is “a reflection of the wrong migration policy.”