Swedish inmates prompt Tartu Prison to recruit nearly 300 staff

Tartu Prison is seeking nearly 300 new employees as it prepares to receive inmates from Sweden, ERR reported. The prison opened its doors to prospective workers on Tuesday for a career day, and its director said recruitment was ahead of schedule.

Nearly 400 people have applied, 20 have already been hired and about 70 applications are still being processed, Tartu Prison director Merle Ulst said.

The applicants include young people seeking their first work experience as well as former prison employees who were previously made redundant.

About 100 visitors attended the career day. They could learn about different prison jobs, try searching a cell, watch a demonstration by a service dog and inspect prisoner transport buses.

The first Swedish inmates are expected to arrive in Tartu this month. Ulst said they would come in small groups, with 100 inmates expected to be at the prison by the end of September. She said the facility was ready for their arrival but could not yet provide an exact date.

Applicants for prison guard positions must be adult Estonian citizens who pass a background check and physical tests. They must have a very good command of Estonian, while basic English sufficient for polite communication is enough.

“The most important thing is that a person must want to work in this kind of institution, with these kinds of people, and do the work with dedication and motivation,” said Konstantin Nikiforov, a senior specialist at Tartu Prison.

Prison officials said the current recruitment drive would not be the last, and additional employees would be trained as needed.