Demand for paid cameras in pre-trial detention centers has increased to 93%: the Ministry of Justice will launch new ones in six cities

As of May 2025, 83 paid cells with 201 places are operational in Ukraine’s pre-trial detention centers. This information was announced by Deputy Minister of Justice Yevgeny Pikalov, who noted that the demand for these cells with improved conditions is 93%, indicating their high occupancy rate.

The Ministry of Justice implemented the project several years ago to provide detainees with the opportunity to choose more comfortable living conditions, as well as to ensure the financing of institutional budgets through paid services. Paid cells offer modern furniture, hot water, improved lighting, and sometimes televisions and refrigerators, which significantly improve conditions of detention compared to ordinary cells.

In 2024, 81 paid cells with 192 places operated in the pre-trial detention center system. Now, the number of such premises has increased, and their occupancy rate is approaching the maximum limit.

The Ministry of Justice also plans to expand the network of paid cells to six cities: Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipro, and Kryvyi Rih, which is associated with high demand and stable financing for this project.

Pikalov emphasized that there are no separate cells for deputies, ministers, or judges in Ukraine. However, he acknowledged the possibility of corruption in the system despite the lack of official separation of prisoners by status.

Paid cells are a voluntary service that prisoners can choose at their discretion. The money is officially transferred to the institution’s accounts, which eliminates the possibility of corruption schemes. A similar practice is widespread in several European countries, helping to reduce tension in overcrowded detention centers and improve general conditions of detention.

The Ministry of Justice intends to continue monitoring the demand for paid cells and, if necessary, expand their network in other regions of Ukraine.