Printing machines clatter and spit out official papers in the depths of Diez prison in south-western Germany, and these are done one month before the poll.

Germany’s preparations for the early election are now in full swing, even in places far removed from everyday society.

Inmates here are rushing to produce documents for the early parliamentary elections on February 23.

“Not the ballot papers because we don’t have the necessary machines,’’ said Volker Fleck, the head of the detention facility in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Many of the items needed, such as envelopes and info sheets, have been printed here as the authorities scrambled to arrange new elections.

The early polls were hastily called after the previous coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed in November.

Diez prison has around 500 inmates, a large number of whom are serving long-term sentences.

Some 65 prisoners work in the printing press, turning out several million papers and some 70,000 sealing stamps, says Fleck, motioning to stacks of brown boxes ready for dispatch.

Mr Fleck said that the work started there in December 2024.

“It fills us with pride that we are able to participate and see the preparation of the general election as one facet of a living democracy,’’ he added.

It was noisy in the production hall, dimly lit from a few ceiling windows and reeks of disinfectant due to the alcohol used in the printing process.

Among the bustle, a 62-year-old man deftly operated one of the more advanced machines to produce papers for a council election, and the print shop fulfils many other printing and bookbinding orders.

Although most categories of prisoners in Germany are allowed to vote outside in open prisons or by postal vote, he has minimal interest in the upcoming polls.

This resulted from a special request from Rhineland-Palatinate’s electoral officer, said Mr Fleck, showing his pride at the ability of the prison printing house to respond to last-minute orders.

Over and above that, he explained, there’s the bigger picture when it comes to preparing inmates for life after parole.

The prisoners worked from 6:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Anyone who wants to work in the print shop must apply as for any other job, said shop manager Markus Weyers.

The prison runs three more vocational programmes: A metalwork shop with places for 38 inmates, a carpentry shop with 12 places and a similarly sized gardening programme.

The 62-year-old master printer did not talk about the future but says his engagement over the past decade has definitely kept him going.

(dpa/NAN)