At the end of 2022, fewer people were being held in Switzerland than before the pandemic. But the numbers are rising again, as an expert shows.
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the essentials in brief
- After Corona, fewer people are in prison in Switzerland than before.
- It has to do with the pandemic.
- But: The number is increasing again, as a criminologist explains.
After Corona, fewer people are in prison in Switzerland than before. At the end of 2022, 6,445 women and men were behind bars in Switzerland. That is seven percent less than before the 2019 pandemic.
There are two reasons for this, as criminologist Dirk Baier explains: During Corona, crimes in Switzerland – unsurprisingly – decreased. “A braking effect of measures such as lockdown or working from home to contain the virus can therefore be seen,” he explains to Nau.ch.
Fewer penalties imposed due to Corona
In addition, the pandemic measures of the penal system also contribute to the decrease. “Certain sentences, especially short sentences and substitute prison sentences, were not carried out, and inmates were released early more often,” Baier enumerates.
Alternative prison sentences would be imposed, for example, if fines could not be paid. There are short sentences of up to three or six months, for example, for theft or minor cases of fraud.
These measures were taken to prevent the corona virus from spreading more quickly in overcrowded prisons, said Baier.
But that doesn’t mean that those convicted got away with it. “In principle, the only options are to postpone imprisonment or convert it to another sentence,” explains Baier.
In addition, this would be impossible in the case of more serious crimes, “e.g. in the area of bodily harm, robbery, drug trafficking”.
Prison sentences ended earlier during pandemic
But the pandemic also had an impact on these criminals. After two-thirds of the sentence, it can be suspended and the prisoner released.
“In the years before the pandemic, less and less use was made of this. During the pandemic, this may have been used more frequently again, which can also explain a decline in the number of inmates,” Baier explains.
Have you ever been to prison?
But you can already feel that the pandemic is over. Because the crime statistics show that fewer prisoners are in prison than before the pandemic. But there are already more than last year. “According to the current crime statistics for 2022, the number of crimes will increase again significantly,” says Baier.
In January 2023, the number of inmates had already risen to 6,445 – compared to 6,310 in January before.
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2023-04-28 18:25:10
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