Korydallos Prison

Korydallos Prison Complex is the main prison of Greece, housing both maximum-security men and women. It is located in Korydallos, Piraeus. Its most famous detainees are the November 17 terrorist members. Korydallos prison was also used as the place for the Greek junta trials in 1975. In November 1995, there was a massive riot, with inmates taking control of the prison for several days in a "battle" with prison guards and police.

Nikolaos Dertilis was the last remaining junta member in jail. He died 28 January 2013 at the age of 94.

Korydallos Prison attracted attention after inmate Vasilis Paleokostas escaped with a rented helicopter, twice (June 2006 and February 2009).

Conditions of detention

Amnesty International and other human rights bodies such as the Committee for the Prevention of Torture have repeatedly expressed concern about the prison for its overcrowding and inhumane treatment of detainees. In 2007, a special committee composed of physicians of the Division of Health Inspections of the Prefecture of Piraeus and Piraeus Medical Association has reported that the hospital and the mental clinic of the prison operate without even the minimum conditions of hygiene, with aging infrastructure and big shortages in medical and nursing staff. The Hellenic Parliament has vowed to improve conditions. Since May 2008 the women prisoners section has been transferred to Thiva prison complex, following many years of protests and complaints to the government by the Korydallos municipality and inhabitants. Nowadays only one of the three women prison section hosts women under trial. Demolition works have commenced, for the two out of the three sections, on January 2010 and will be completed at the end of June 2010 leaving free space of 10 acres (40,000 m²) to be used as a park.