Greece has formally integrated the psychiatric ward of Korydallos Prison into the country’s National Health System, marking a major step in upgrading mental-health services for inmates and aligning correctional care with European standards.

The Ministry of Health announced that the unit is now part of the National Network of Mental Health Services as a designated Special Center for Prisoners’ Mental Health. The move is part of a wider psychiatric-reform law enacted in 2024, which seeks to modernize mental-health structures nationwide.

Authorities say the integration ensures that the prison’s mental-health services will follow the same clinical and operational standards that apply across public hospitals and psychiatric centers. The facility is now overseen by Greece’s Second Health District, which manages major healthcare institutions in the wider Athens area.

According to the ministry, the center functions as a specialized mental-health unit, offering full psychiatric care—from hospitalization and treatment to psychosocial rehabilitation and gradual reintegration support. Special emphasis is placed on coordination with other mental-health facilities, hospitals in the region, and correctional institutions across the country to improve continuity of care.

Staffing has already been strengthened. Since early 2025, eight psychiatrists have been hired, significantly expanding the unit’s medical capacity and improving the quality of services available to inmates.

The center will also play a role in training new psychiatrists through participation in the national residency-education program, contributing to the development of future mental-health professionals.

Deputy Minister for Citizen Protection Lambropoulos highlighted the cooperation between ministries, noting that the initiative aims to improve living conditions and healthcare services in correctional facilities while respecting inmates’ rights.

Deputy Health Minister Vartzopoulos described the integration as a “deep institutional change,” emphasizing that inmates’ mental health is an essential part of public health and social cohesion. “We are strengthening care, reducing stigma, and creating conditions for meaningful reintegration and dignity,” he said.