Millions for a pool, cigarettes and musical accompaniment: Israel Prison Service's 2025 expenditures | Li Aish
A report on the Israel Prison Service's 2025 budget, revealed on i24NEWS, exposes unusual expenditures including nearly 11 million shekels for a swimming pool at Ketziot Prison, over a million shekels on cigarettes for inmates, and millions more on religious instructors, wine for Kiddush, and coats. Additional spending on staff welfare includes coffee machines and lectures.
The Israel Prison Service's 2025 expenditure report, revealed this evening on i24NEWS by crime desk editor Li Aish, exposes a series of unusual and exceptional expenses. The report, obtained through a freedom of information request, details total expenditures of approximately 1.86 billion shekels. Notable items include nearly 11 million shekels for a swimming pool at Ketziot Prison, inaugurated last May, and over a million shekels on cigarettes for inmates and detainees, of which about 700,000 shekels were designated for needy inmates and detainees. The report also shows expenditures of over 3 million shekels on religious instructors and guides, about 900,000 shekels on coats, approximately 562,000 shekels on wine for Kiddush and Havdalah, and about 504,000 shekels on tracksuits and underwear. Concurrently, expenses for staff welfare were revealed, including Columbia coats worth about 51,000 shekels for those going to Poland, 47,200 shekels for social media photography for the recruitment department, 25 Nespresso coffee machines for about 32,000 shekels, and lectures by Linor Abargil and Linoi Ashram. The IPS responded: "All expenses underwent tender committees and supervision as required by law; the organization will continue to work for the welfare of prison fighters and to support inmates who choose the path of religious rehabilitation."