Communication barriers in German prisons

In early July 2026 German courts highlighted the isolation of deaf prisoners, noting that a system built for oral communication lacks sufficient sign‑language staff and interpreters, impairing access to medical, legal and pastoral services.

By late July, justice‑ministry data showed that foreign and stateless inmates now account for 44.8 % of the prison population – up from just over 30 % in 2015 – with the highest shares in Berlin (58.9 %) and Hamburg (≈58 %). Union leader René Müller warned that language gaps hinder rehabilitation, increase violence risk and fuel isolated sub‑cultures, calling for urgently hiring more staff to monitor and separate groups.

New figures released in July reaffirm the March 2026 statistics: 27,000 foreign‑national detainees among 60,408 inmates, and a stark regional divide, with eastern states around one‑quarter foreign inmates versus over half in several western states. A case in point is Görlitz prison, where 68.9 % of the 167 inmates in June 2025 were non‑German. Prison capacity is under strain – roughly 70,000 places for about 59,000 prisoners (≈80 % occupancy) – and an estimated 150,000 people with outstanding warrants cannot be accommodated. The union stresses that the growing linguistic diversity, combined with staffing shortfalls, deepens the communication crisis affecting inmate welfare, staff workload and overall prison safety.