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Estonian prisons lack 150 guards
BC, Tallinn, 12.07.2013.
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Several Estonian prisons suffer from a shortage of prison guards: there is need to hire nearly 150 people immediately, LETA/Eesti Päevaleht writes.
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For example in the Tartu prison, there are 22 vacancies for prison guard posts and in the Tallinn Prison a whole 89.
Although the profession is popular among young people, the requirements are very tough for the job – the majority of people who apply are just not suitable.
Justice ministry punishment implementation service head Priit Post said that just a tenth to a fifth of candidates pass the requirements. The rest are rejected because of their criminal past or because they are physically not in the required good shape.
All this has caused a situation where even students without professional education work as prison guards.