Climate activist Jesuit (more Greta Thunberg than priest) after doing time takes up the cause prison reform

After his own imprisonment: Jesuit Alt denounces conditions in prisons

Jesuit and climate activist Jörg Alt was convicted of civil disobedience and served an alternative prison sentence. He has now submitted a report about his observations during his imprisonment – ​​and it has drawn massive criticism.

"Every day in here is a day in vain." That's what a prison officer told him when he was transferred to the Nuremberg prison for 25 days in April 2025: This is what Jesuit priest, sociologist, and climate activist Jörg Alt wrote in a report about his time in prison, which he presented in Nuremberg over the weekend – together with experts from politics, pastoral care, research, and social work. Based on conversations with fellow inmates, prison officers, and external interlocutors, he harshly criticizes the prison conditions.

Alt had refused to pay a fine to which the Bavarian Supreme Court had sentenced him in November in the final instance. The Jesuit had participated in several road blockades, in this case a 2022 blockade in Nuremberg. He was supposed to pay 500 euros for coercion. He also declined an alternative offer of community service – after all, as a Jesuit, he always does that; it's not a punishment. The alternative prison sentence remained. He repaid the resulting costs.

He was quickly recognized as a "climate pastor," Alt writes. Not only did this fact quickly spread, but also that, as such, he was subject to a certain sworn confidentiality: "Accordingly, many confided in me about their suffering and asked me to tell them about it after my release." A statement made by a prison officer at the beginning of his sentence has constantly haunted him: "Many here need psychological care or addiction counseling, others need a street worker, and then we have a small remainder who belong in prison."

Staff shortages and drug use

One point Alt addresses is the staff shortage. As early as April, some officers had accumulated 100 hours of overtime, and instead of six officers per shift, only two were usually deployed. The situation is similar with medical care, as well as with the support provided by social workers, psychologists, addiction counselors, or chaplains. The quality of this also suffers: "One prisoner described to me the difficult time he went through after the death of his child. Although he did get a consultation with a psychologist, the tenor of the conversation was that he shouldn't think about his child's death so often."

Drugs are also a major issue for Alt. Drug use is possible in prison, but often doesn't correspond to what people are used to. Withdrawal symptoms lead to aggression and violence. "When people are in withdrawal, you can ask whether they are even sane," says Alt. If the answer is negative, then the question arises as to why they are even being placed in a normal prison system. Therapy with legal substitutes is also possible, but often fails due to structural problems.

Father Jörg Alt denounces the conditions in German prisons.

The issue of resocialization is also important to Alt. This is prioritized in all federal states and at the federal level as the central purpose of imprisonment in the penal code – even ahead of the protection of the general public. Bavaria, however, has reversed this order. He also refers to a 2023 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, according to which, among other things, Bavaria at the time "did not have a coherent resocialization concept that met constitutional requirements."

"Many of my interviewees are convinced that the way many people are being released in Bavaria right now can only go wrong," Alt continued. Many prisoners have trouble applying what they learned in prison to freedom. Many, for example, cannot find housing without a job, but without housing, they also cannot find work. Setbacks are commonplace.

Recommendations for improvement

From his observations, the Jesuit draws a total of 10 recommendations. To reduce incarceration overall, preventive measures, a reform of criminal law, and more alternatives to imprisonment are needed. Where incarceration is unavoidable, medical and psychological care must be improved, especially for addiction. The prison system must clearly commit to rehabilitation – with more qualified staff, better transitional programs, and easier contact with the outside world.

Prisoners should be able to effectively defend their rights through an independent complaints centre. Withdrawal treatment should become more humane and second medical opinions should be accessible. Finally, staff need more support in their stressful everyday lives.

Not yet an expert after 25 days

At the presentation of the report, Andreas Bär, Chairman of the Catholic Prison Chaplaincy in Germany, described it as "frightening" that many of the issues raised were so serious that Alt had already noticed them after 25 days. Ethicist Michelle Becka from Würzburg expressed a similar view. She emphasised that good rehabilitation ultimately also serves to protect the general public from further criminal offences.

Of course, after 25 days in prison, there is a suspicion that this is not enough to make valid statements, emphasised Alt himself. However, he had not only tried to have all the information confirmed several times from other sources. He also had his report proofread by two officers in the higher prison service. 25 days did not make him an expert. However, he considers his observations to be "another piece of the mosaic in the ongoing debate on improvements in the prison system. I hope that my observations will help more competent experts to scrutinise the situations described and, if possible, to rectify any shortcomings."

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