St. Gallen Reopens Old Prisons to Combat Overcrowding
26 Additional Detention Spaces Until Altstätten Opens in 2028
Swiss prisons are more crowded than ever. The Canton of St. Gallen is therefore reactivating the former prisons in Bazenheid and Uznach. Both facilities were closed in 2020 and 2022 respectively. They will provide 26 additional detention spaces for pre-trial and security detention. These facilities serve as a temporary solution until the expanded Altstätten regional prison is completed in 2028.
Record Occupancy in Swiss Correctional Facilities
At the beginning of 2026, more people were held in Swiss prisons than ever before. The Confederation reported an occupancy rate of 97 percent – a record high. The Canton of St. Gallen exceeded this, with over 100 percent. At peak times, 80 individuals had to be accommodated in 57 cells. This corresponds to an occupancy of 140 percent. This means that, on average, 1.4 people were assigned to each available cell.
The overcrowding primarily affects pre-trial and security detention. The justice system cannot dispense with detention in these cases: security detention is ordered when there is a risk of flight, while pre-trial detention serves to secure criminal proceedings. Additional spaces are therefore necessary.
«Staff were at their limit, overworked. Food distribution, medical care, even walks – everything becomes more complex,» says Remo Breitenmoser, head of police prisons in the Canton of St. Gallen.
Old Institutions Are Reactivated
To alleviate the situation, the Canton of St. Gallen has brought the former police prisons in Bazenheid and Uznach back into operation. Bazenheid was closed at the end of 2022 as a deportation prison following a Federal Supreme Court decision. Uznach had already been decommissioned in 2020. As of September 2026, 26 additional spaces will be available there: 14 in Uznach, 12 in Bazenheid.
The St. Gallen Cantonal Council approved a supplementary credit of approximately 870,000 Swiss francs for the reopening. The decision was made on June 9, 2026, with 103 votes in favor and 0 against. Eleven employees are planned for the operation of the two facilities – six in Uznach, five in Bazenheid.
«We were able to reactivate these two police prisons relatively quickly. That was the most efficient way for us,» says Security Director Christof Hartmann.
Only about three months lie between the Cantonal Council's decision in June and the commissioning in September. This speed is possible due to the simple infrastructure of the former police prisons. They are designed for short detention periods, not for long-term imprisonment.
With the additional cells, the canton now has a total of 75 cells available for approximately 85 people. The occupancy rate thus drops to about 113 percent – remaining above capacity. However, the provisional measure provides some breathing room for the justice system. The canton expects that the additional spaces will suffice until Altstätten opens.
Temporary Solution Until Altstätten
The reactivation is only a temporary measure. The expanded Altstätten regional prison is intended to increase capacity in the long term. Its renovation took four years longer than planned. The opening is now scheduled for early 2028. Until then, the old facilities will remain in operation.
Other cantons are also struggling with overcrowded prisons. Lucerne, Basel-Landschaft, and Bern are relying on temporary container constructions. The Canton of St. Gallen has chosen a different path by reactivating existing buildings. Whether this solution holds depends significantly on the progress of construction in Altstätten. Until 2028, overcrowding remains a pressing issue – not only in the Canton of St. Gallen. The coming months will show whether the reactivation is sufficient to alleviate the strained situation.
Sources
- Overcrowded prisons: St. Gallen opens old detention centers - News - SRF (Secondary source, researched on 2026-08-30)
- Prisons in Bazenheid and Uznach are back in operation - SWI swissinfo.ch (Primary source, 2026-08-27, researched on 2026-08-30)
- Reopening of Bazenheid and Uznach prisons | sg.ch (Primary source, 2026-08-27, researched on 2026-08-30)
- Prisons in Bazenheid and Uznach are back in operation | Nau.ch (Secondary source, 2026-08-27, researched on 2026-08-30)
- Overall vote: Cantonal Council resolution on a supplementary credit for the reopening of the prisons in Bazenheid and Uznach (Primary source, 2026-06-09, researched on 2026-08-30)
- news.google.com (Secondary source, researched on 2026-08-30)
- news.google.com (Secondary source, researched on 2026-08-30)
- news.google.com (Secondary source, researched on 2026-08-30)
