[ad_1]
In September, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service announced that they had entered personal mode. Something they are still on, which means shorter decision paths, a concentration of resources, and greater powers. CEO Martin Holmgren later wrote in the DN discussion that “the situation is so dire that our ability to carry out the basic task and maintain security is threatened.” At that time, the occupancy rate in institutions was over 100 percent and in prisons just under 100 percent. The latest figures show that the occupancy rate is roughly the same today.
The moderates now want to reform the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. To a large extent, it is about expanding the spatial capacity of prisons and institutions. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service has opened 1,000 new places in the last three years and will open another 2,000 places in the future. But Johan Forssell, legal policy spokesman for the moderates, believes that even more needs to be created.
– I am convinced that two factors are actually completely inappropriate. On the one hand, there has been a sharp increase in population in the last ten years, so it would be strange if it did not result. On the one hand, I ask for a change of perspective in the vision of crime and punishment in Sweden. By that I mean that more attention must be paid to protecting the public from people who are very dangerous, who do not hesitate to commit serious or new crimes.
How much money is it?
– Exactly what money it will be, we want the Swedish Prison and Probation Service to analyze first. But this is a priority part of the legal chain and the bill must be paid. Citizens have the right to feel safe. From the side of the moderates, we are prepared to allocate the funds required by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, says Johan Forssell.
The lack of space in the country’s prisons and institutions has caused the Swedish Prison and Probation Service to double the period of detention from 51 to 100 days. What do you want to do to change that?
– Many people sentenced to prison can move quite freely in society while awaiting the execution of their sentence. The youth robbers in Solna who committed the horrible crime in the cemetery are an example of this. We can’t have that, but that time must be shortened. The application should start as soon as possible, 100 days is completely unreasonable, it says and continues:
– We propose to increase the number of transfers from people with foreign citizenship to their countries of origin. This is a very large group in Swedish institutions. One third of the total number of people enrolled in institutions are foreign citizens and about 60 percent of these people are from countries outside of Europe. It can be difficult, but the Swedish Prison and Probation Service must be given a more precise task to increase transfers.
In the reform package, the moderates want moreover, among other things, they criminalize escapes and that probation must occur exceptionally and at the earliest after three-quarters of the sentence. To be released on parole, convicts must participate in a national exit program. Those with substance abuse or those who have committed sexual crimes should also undergo treatment. A treatment that could be medical.
– We must not lose hope that the first crime is the last and we present several proposals to end crime and establish requirements for crime prevention measures. But we know that the risk of recidivism for criminals is very high. The only measure that seems to affect is increasing age, says Johan Forssell.
