The number of people sentenced to preventive detention is rising rapidly, according to a new report from Naalakkersuisut. A working group will now investigate the reasons behind this.
There were 35 inmates serving custodial sentences in Greenland’s prisons in August 2025. This is according to Naalakkersuisut’s report “Visions and Priorities in the Justice Sector 2026,” published by the Ministry of Children, Youth, Justice, and Gender Equality.
By comparison, at the same time, Denmark had 89 inmates serving custodial sentences who had not yet been released on probation. The figures are from the Danish Prison and Probation Service.
That doesn’t sound like much until you factor in the population. Denmark has about 5.8 million residents, and Greenland has about 56,700. That works out to approximately 62 inmates per 100,000 residents in Greenland, compared to one and a half in Denmark. The difference is thus a factor of 40.
In addition, there are 11 individuals who, under the Greenlandic Criminal Code, have been sentenced to placement in a psychiatric facility in Denmark. If they are included, the rate for Greenland rises to about 81 per 100,000.
“A worrying trend”
Naalakkersuisut makes no secret of the fact that the figures are cause for concern. The report calls the rapid rise in numbers “a worrying trend.” This is concerning both for society and because custodial sentences are handed down significantly more often in Greenland than in the countries with which it is compared.
Following the 2025 meeting of the Council for the Greenlandic Judicial System, a working group has therefore been established to examine these developments. The report does not specify when the group is expected to complete its work.
