Pilot project in the penal system: NRW tests electric prison transport vehicles

For the first time, North Rhine-Westphalia is testing the use of electric prisoner transport vehicles. According to the Ministry of Justice , two vehicles will initially be deployed in the Aachen and Bochum correctional facilities as part of a pilot project "to gain relevant experience in real-life operation."

The background is the goal of making the state administration climate-neutral by 2030. According to the Climate Protection Act, all vehicles used by that date should also have climate-friendly drive systems, if possible. "As in some other federal states, the area of prisoner transport vehicles will now also be taken into consideration," said a ministry spokesperson.

"Due to the special features associated with prisoner transport, however, we will initially test on a small scale how the use of electrically powered prisoner transport vehicles can be implemented in practice," the spokesperson emphasized.

Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach said: "By piloting electric vehicles for prisoner transport, the North Rhine-Westphalian prison system is providing further impetus for sustainable and future-oriented action. We can make a concrete contribution to achieving our climate goals and want to demonstrate that safety and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, but complementary."