A new wind in Rottweil's correctional facility: Stefanie Hörter takes over!

A new wind in Rottweil's correctional facility: Stefanie Hörter takes over!

The Rottweil Correctional Facility (JVA) is facing significant change: On May 27, 2025, the Minister of Justice and Migration, Marion Gentges, presented the certificate of appointment to the new head of the facility, Stefanie Hörter. Gentges described her as an experienced prison lawyer and emphasized the relevance of her role in the current phase of change in the prison system. Stefanie Hörter succeeded Ilona Crispien, who had been at the head of the JVA since January 2022 and is now returning to the Rottenburg JVA. Hörter will also be appointed Chief Government Director from July 1, 2025.

Stefanie Hörter brings with her extensive professional experience: After studying law, she started as a government assessor in the Heimsheim prison in 1999 and was quickly appointed representative of the prison director. Her career took her to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Nuremberg before she returned to the state service at Schwäbisch Hall JVA in 2007, where she was promoted to deputy prison director in 2009. Since October 2023 she has been a civil servant assessor of the disciplinary chamber at the Stuttgart Administrative Court.

Construction of the new correctional facility

A central aspect of the changes in Rottweil is the construction of a modern correctional facility, whose construction work began in June 2023 after a planning phase that spanned over 30 years. The new large prison is scheduled to open in 2027 and will accommodate 502 inmates in three cell blocks. Construction work will take place under strict safety guidelines to ensure the safety of both inmates and the public.

The infrastructure of the new complex not only includes the classic prison areas such as administration rooms and a large kitchen, but also various meeting places for inmates and the population. An excursion café will be set up to promote exchange between prisoners and citizens. The cells are 9 square meters in size, have windows and are equipped with separate wet rooms. Cells can also be grouped into small living units equipped with kitchens, recreation rooms and shower rooms.

Public and professional integration

The significance of the new prison goes beyond mere incarceration. Planned training companies such as a locksmith and a woodworking workshop are intended to help offer the inmates career prospects. In addition, a meeting place will be created, which may be run by outdoor animals. A sports area with a sports hall and outdoor spaces will also be created to enable interactions between prisoners and the public.

The Minister of Justice emphasizes the need to expand prison capacity in Baden-Württemberg, especially since five smaller correctional facilities will be closed in 2027, including the old JVA Rottweil. The construction costs for the new prison have risen from an initial estimated 120 million euros to now 280 million euros. In order to meet ecological requirements, the equipment of the new building is planned to be almost climate-neutral, with a heat pump and photovoltaic systems.

The decision to use Rottweil as a location was made due to its good transport connections and proximity to regional courts. This will not only modernize the prison, but also rethink the entire incarceration and rehabilitation process in the region.