Danish Prison Service Admits Illegal Wiretapping of Inmate Calls

The Danish Prison and Probation Service has acknowledged that intercepting conversations between inmates and volunteer legal aid representatives was unlawful. This admission means that inmates who were subjected to this illegal surveillance can now seek compensation.

The agency stated in a press release that the wiretapping extended to conversations with volunteer case workers from organizations like Krims Retshjælp (Crime's Legal Aid). This adds to earlier reports from last summer, which indicated that approximately 50 cases involved illegal wiretapping of inmates' communications with lawyers and trainee lawyers in high-security prisons.

The issue gained public attention following a Supreme Court ruling in August 2024. In that case, an inmate was awarded 10,000 Danish kroner in compensation because Storstrøm Prison had recorded conversations where the inmate discussed complaints about their conditions. This ruling prompted an investigation into other similar cases.

Further investigations revealed more instances, and in October 2025, the Prison and Probation Service reached a settlement with Krims Retshjælp. The agency conceded that conversations between inmates and these volunteers are protected by the same rights as attorney-client communications, meaning recordings of such calls are also unlawful. The exact number of new cases resulting from this settlement has not yet been disclosed by the agency.