DN Debate. Alternative punishments can solve the lack of prison places

the Effects of recent years ' straffskärpningar will now be seen clearly. After several years of declining klienttillströmning increases the inflow of sentenced to the Penitentiary system is now fast again. The occupancy rate in penitentiary institutions is extremely high.

In the conditions, it is about around 99 per cent occupancy, institution, 97 per cent. , Although there are also factors pointing in a different direction, such as reduced recidivism and decreasing juvenile delinquency, is our overall assessment that the trend reversal we have been waiting for now has actually occurred. There is much to suggest that the number of clients in the Correctional system will continue to increase for many years to come.

When the jails and the asylums are overcrowded, it becomes always serious, it shows both Swedish and international experience. The security is influenced negatively, the ability to relocate clients disappear as well as the conditions to work isoleringsbrytande and återfallsförebyggande. The detainee will remain in the police in russia, and when a häktesplats becomes vacant, the police, public prosecutors and lawyers do not expect the suspects are near the place where the criminal investigation is done. Sentenced will remain in custody until a vacancy anstaltsplats can be released, which contributes to the overcrowding in detention facilities.

The ultimate consequence is that the so-called soningsköer occurs, and that the imprisoned persons are given placed in freedom while waiting to execute their punishment. So for example, both Norway and Iceland had to manage their capacity.

The ultimate consequence is that the so-called soningsköer occurs, and that the imprisoned persons are given placed in freedom while waiting to execute their punishment. So for example, both Norway and Iceland had to manage their capacity.

to quickly increase the number of available places has the prison service recently made a decision on the dubbelbeläggning; that is to say that the inmates are sharing the room. We also convert a number of public spaces in our prisons to the living area. Previously, the expansions of institutions Nationwide, Sagsjön and Tidaholm decided. New jails are under construction in Östersund and Sala.

In the day we make the decision to expand the platskapaciteten on a further 13 locations. It applies to institutions Hall, Kumla, Rödjan, Skenäs, Skogome, Singapore, Storboda, Sörbyn and Österåker and detention facilities in Borås, Halmstad, Gävle, Kristianstad, sweden.

in Addition to these, there are a handful of places that can be considered for expansion. We are looking for at the same time intensely for a place to establish a new institution in the malmö region. It need hardly be pointed out that for all this to become a reality will require large financial contributions.

Our assessment is that the planned expansion still only cover less than half of the space requirements, since we during the same period, being forced to dismantle several hundred places when the old and worn-out buildings to be taken out of operation. Continue to judge all the more to prison and increase the penalties further, without at the same time, develop the penalty system as a whole, will be both costly and ineffective. It simply is not going to be prison places so there is enough for all. Other measures also need to be considered. Let me mention at least three possibilities:

the Prison sentence is needed. They are both security enhancement and återfallsförebyggande. It deserves to be said clearly. But it should be the right people who are in prison. Those who do not, because of the severity of the violation, or that they constitute a threat to society, must be deprived of their liberty should be punished in another way. It was also the idea when the Swedish method during probation grew up. Frivårdspåföljder need, however, if they are to be a credible alternative to short prison sentences, formulated more intervention to meet the victims', witnesses ' and public's need for protection.

the Possibility to exercise a more intrusive monitoring and control need therefore to be better. The proposals presented on the enhanced measures at the conditional release and new penalties for young people is a step in the right direction and should be able to be used wider. New technology also provides greater opportunities for more intensive monitoring.

another important change would be to rank and straffmäta penalties in freedom in the same way as prison sentences. Today, that means a probation almost always a year of monitoring, regardless of the crime. More reasonable would be to a felony, gave a more stringent frivårdsstraff, and a less severe crime with a milder sentence.

sentenced to a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months can apply to serve his sentence at home with electronic monitoring, so-called tagging. The premise is that you have a job, arranged the family, somewhere to live and that the prison service considers that the risk of continued crime is small.

These qualification requirements should be able to reasonably be achieved also in a part of sentenced to a punishment exceeding six months imprisonment. It should therefore be considered if the current time limit could be extended, for example up to one year. This would mean that anstaltsplatser released to those who really need to be locked into.

the Idea of allowing the convicted to pay their debt to society by performing unpaid work is undeveloped in Sweden. The variations across the country is great when it comes to the non-profit associations, charities and religious communities that receive sentenced to community service. The set up makes admirable efforts, but is to get.

Here, there is a great potential for development, for example, should samhällstjänstdömda be able to be assigned duties in other than higher degree will local communities to directly benefit, for example in the environmental sector. Here are some interesting examples from other countries to take a closer look at. A prerequisite is probably that the prison service may be tasked to execute samhällstjänstuppdrag, and not that of the day will be dependent on external, voluntary actors. We gladly take upon us the task.

the Proposals will require changes in legislation, which, in turn, requires an investigative work. It is our hope that such an investigation comes about. Because no matter what opinion you have in the criminal policy debate, shows all the international experience that the appetite for further straffskärpningar and even tougher anti-crime consists also after the last executed actions.

never Evolve some new thoughts on how criminal actions should be punished and the repetition of the offences to be prevented, will likely inflows to the jails and institutions to continue to increase at a rate that makes one of the rule of law, the most basic of tasks, to execute the sentencing, soon to become the us chairman of the club.