2024-04-242023/24:JuU17 · p.14JuUJustice
A plan for expansion of the Prison Service
A plan for expanding the Prison and Probation Service
What's at stake: Coming reforms are expected to require a more extensive expansion of the Prison and Probation Service, and how it is planned affects both facility capacity and whether recidivism-prevention work can continue to function well during the transition.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the government should be instructed to urgently produce a comprehensive plan for how the Prison and Probation Service will manage a coming expansion, or whether ongoing assignments and cooperation between authorities already address the development sufficiently.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee points out that the Prison and Probation Service already has an assignment from the government to further develop its recidivism-prevention work, which has resulted in several proposals and measures, and that several authorities have recently reported on their assignment to create long-term sustainable conditions; the committee therefore sees no reason for a further formal statement on the matter right now.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 13 (S)
The government should urgently produce a plan for how the Prison and Probation Service will handle the changes that anticipated reforms entail, since the service itself has reported on the future need for places; the plan should ensure the successful recidivism-prevention work is not affected, and privatisation is not seen as a solution.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 13 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, MModeraterna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 213–93Nej 74–232
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/92/0/14 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 22/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2023/24:2640 by Ardalan Shekarabi et al. (S) request 23.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2023/24:2640 av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S) yrkande 23.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 50 proposals in motions on prison matters that were submitted during the ordinary motion period in 2023. The motions dealt with, among other things, security within the Prison Service, conditional release and leaving-organized-crime support programs. Leaving-organized-crime support program (avhopparverksamhet) means supporting people who have chosen to leave organized crime. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to ongoing investigation work in the area.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to ensure that the Correctional Service's recidivism prevention work continues with engaged personnel and science-based programs. (S) — Reservation 13
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan rejects profit-seeking in jointly financed activities and sees privatizations and contracts as a serious threat to the public sector's basic idea, which is the core of the counter-proposal's requirement.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan rejects profit-seeking in jointly financed activities and sees privatizations and contracts as a serious threat to the public sector's basic idea, which is the core of the counter-proposal's requirement. It also requires a functioning legal system and effective recidivism prevention work that must not be crowded out when capacity is built. The plan says nothing about site planning, which is why the conclusion is partly derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen avvisar vinstdrift i gemensamt finansierad verksamhet och ser privatiseringar och entreprenader som ett allvarligt hot mot den offentliga sektorns grundidé, vilket är kärnan i motförslagets krav. Den kräver också ett fungerande rättssystem och ett effektivt återfallsförebyggande arbete som inte får trängas undan när kapaciteten byggs ut. Planen säger inget om platsplanering, varför slutsatsen delvis är härledd.
- privatization is not a solutiondecisive»Privatiseringar och entreprenader innebär därför ett allvarligt hot mot den offentliga sektorns grundidé.« (party programme ↗)“Privatizations and contracts therefore represent a serious threat to the public sector's basic idea.”
- no profit-seeking in shared activities»Vänsterpartiet vill införa ett totalförbud mot alla vinstdrivande verksamhetsformer inom välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to introduce a total ban on all profit-seeking business forms within welfare.”
- recidivism prevention work»ett effektivt avhopparprogram« (2022 manifesto ↗)“an effective rehabilitation program”
- functioning legal system»Kriminaliteten behöver mötas både med ett fungerande och närvarande rättssystem som fler patrullerande poliser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Crime needs to be met with both a functioning and present legal system such as more police patrols”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan promises toughened sentences for gang crime and repeated serious crime, which presupposes planning criminal care for greatly increased demand for places.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan promises toughened sentences for gang crime and repeated serious crime, which presupposes planning criminal care for greatly increased demand for places. The programme also requires that profit interest be limited and not govern operations run on behalf of the public, which supports the counter-proposal's rejection of privatization. That recidivist prevention work is valued follows from combating the causes of crime.
Original (Swedish)
Planen lovar skärpta straff för gängbrottslighet och upprepad allvarlig brottslighet, vilket förutsätter att kriminalvården planeras för ett kraftigt ökat platsbehov. Programmet kräver också att vinstintresset begränsas och inte styr verksamhet som drivs på uppdrag av det offentliga, vilket stöder motförslagets avvisande av privatisering. Att det återfallsförebyggande arbetet värnas följer av att brottens orsaker ska bekämpas.
- toughened sentences require capacitydecisive»Vi vill skärpa straffen bland annat för gängrelaterad brottslighet, för den som begår upprepade och allvarliga brott och för den som understödjer organiserad kriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to toughen sentences among other things for gang-related crime, for those committing repeated and serious crimes and for those supporting organized crime.”
- limited profit interest in public assignment»med hög kvalitet, att vinstintresset begränsas och inte fungerar styrande för verksamheten« (party programme ↗)“with high quality, that profit interest is limited and does not function as steering for operations”
- recidivist prevention basic approach»klyftorna är små, där alla har rätt till ett arbete och där barn och ungdomar har trygga« (party programme ↗)“gaps are small, where everyone has the right to work and where children and young people have secure”
The party programme stipulates that the prison service must be humane and have the aim that the convicted does not relapse, and that commercially oriented actors must be removed from welfare.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme stipulates that the prison service must be humane and have the aim that the convicted does not relapse, and that commercially oriented actors must be removed from welfare. The election manifesto wants to strengthen care, education and release management during detention. A plan for future space needs that values recidivism-prevention work and rejects privatization is therefore in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att kriminalvården ska vara human och ha som mål att den dömde inte återfaller, och att kommersiellt inriktade aktörer ska bort ur välfärden. Valmanifestet vill förstärka vård, utbildning och utslussning under frihetsberövande. En plan för kommande platsbehov som värnar det återfallsförebyggande arbetet och avvisar privatisering ligger därmed i linje med planen.
- prison service must prevent recidivismdecisive»human och ha som mål att den som dömts inte ska« (party programme ↗)“humane and have the aim that the one who has been convicted must not”
- no to commercial actors»vill därför få bort de kommersiellt inriktade aktörerna och i stället främja idéburna verksamheter« (party programme ↗)“therefore wants to remove commercially oriented actors and instead promote idea-driven activities”
- care and release management»höja maxtiden för sluten ungdomsvård och förstärka vårdinsatser och utbildning under tiden den unge är frihetsberövad, samt införa en utslussningsverksamhet när straffet är avtjänat.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“raise the maximum time for closed youth care and strengthen care and education while the young person is deprived of liberty, and introduce a release management activity when the sentence has been served.”
- long-term planning»Långsiktighet är inte bara ett synsätt inom« (party programme ↗)“Long-term thinking is not just an approach within”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan demands more resources to criminal care and that those who have committed crime be stimulated to a new life situation without crime, which speaks for capacity needs being planned in advance without the crime-prevention work being hollowed out.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands more resources to criminal care and that those who have committed crime be stimulated to a new life situation without crime, which speaks for capacity needs being planned in advance without the crime-prevention work being hollowed out. The counter-proposal's demand for a plan for coming place needs therefore follows from the plan. The counter-proposal's rejection of privatisation however stands in conflict with the party programme's view of competition exposure.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver mer resurser till kriminalvården och att den som begått brott stimuleras till en ny livssituation utan brottslighet, vilket talar för att kapacitetsbehovet planeras i förväg utan att det återfallsförebyggande arbetet urholkas. Motförslagets krav på en plan för kommande platsbehov följer därför av planen. Däremot står motförslagets avvisande av privatisering i strid med partiprogrammets syn på konkurrensutsättning.
- resources for criminal caredecisive»För att besegra dem krävs bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To beat them requires better measures that prevent new recruitment, more resources to police, prosecutors, courts and criminal care and stricter sentences.”
- crime-preventing criminal care»Kriminalpolitiken ska därför både förebygga och avskräcka från brott, stödja brottsdrabbade och stimulera dem som har begått olagliga handlingar till en ny livssituation utan brottslighet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal policy shall therefore both prevent and deter from crime, support crime-affected and stimulate those who have committed illegal acts to a new life situation without crime.”
- openness to private providers»Offentlig verksamhet kan med fördel konkurrensutsättas« (party programme ↗)“Public activity can with advantage be exposed to competition”
flags: motförslagets avvisande av privatisering strider mot planens linje om konkurrensutsättning
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto requires more prisons and jails with more prison officers, which presupposes exactly the capacity planning the counter-proposal seeks.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires more prisons and jails with more prison officers, which presupposes exactly the capacity planning the counter-proposal seeks. The party programme establishes that the aim of imprisonment is that the inmate shall manage life in freedom and that inmates shall be offered work, treatment and education, that is that recidivism-preventive work is not crowded out by expansion. That the state is responsible for the rule of law moreover argues against privatisation.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver fler häkten och fängelser med fler kriminalvårdare, vilket förutsätter just den kapacitetsplanering motförslaget efterlyser. Partiprogrammet slår fast att målet med fängelsetiden är att den intagne ska klara ett liv i frihet och att intagna ska erbjudas arbete, behandling och utbildning, alltså att det återfallsförebyggande arbetet inte får trängas undan av utbyggnaden. Att staten ansvarar för rättsordningen talar dessutom mot privatisering.
- more prison placesdecisive»Samtidigt behöver vi fler domare och fler åklagare, och fler häkten och fängelser med fler kriminalvårdare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time we need more judges and more prosecutors, and more jails and prisons with more prison officers.”
- recidivism-preventive imprisonment»att den intagne efter avtjänat straff ska ha bättre förutsättningar att klara ett liv i frihet.« (party programme ↗)“that the inmate after serving their sentence shall have better conditions to manage life in freedom.”
- work and treatment in prison»Intagna på fängelser ska erbjudas arbete, behandling och utbildning under strafftiden.« (party programme ↗)“Inmates in prisons shall be offered work, treatment and education during their sentence.”
- state responsibility for rule of law»Sverige, men det är endast staten som ska bekämpa brott och ansvara för en fungerande« (party programme ↗)“Sweden, but it is only the state that shall fight crime and take responsibility for a functioning”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto explicitly requires significantly expanded prison services as a consequence of more police, prosecutors and courts.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly requires significantly expanded prison services as a consequence of more police, prosecutors and courts. A plan to meet growing capacity needs is the very implementation of that commitment, and the party programme requires that implementation is aimed at rehabilitation so that reoffending is avoided. The counter-proposal's rejection of privatization, however, lacks support in the plan, which wants absence of monopolies.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen en kraftigt utbyggd kriminalvård som följd av fler poliser, åklagare och domstolar. En plan för att möta ett växande platsbehov är själva verkställigheten av det åtagandet, och partiprogrammet kräver att verkställigheten inriktas på återanpassning så att återfall undviks. Motförslagets avvisande av privatisering saknar däremot stöd i planen, som vill ha frånvaro av monopol.
- significantly expanded prison servicesdecisive»Hela rättsväsendet behöver byggas ut. Fler poliser kräver fler åklagare, domstolar på fler platser i landet och en kraftigt utbyggd kriminalvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The entire justice system needs to be expanded. More police require more prosecutors, courts in more places in the country and significantly expanded prison services.”
- reoffending prevention in implementation»för att denne efter avtjänat straff ska kunna återinträda i samhället och inte återfalla i brottslighet« (party programme ↗)“so that after serving the sentence they can re-enter society and not reoffend”
- diversity of providers»offentliga sektorns verksamhetsformer ska så långt möjligt bygga på frånvaro av monopol« (party programme ↗)“public sector operations shall as far as possible be based on absence of monopolies”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan states that overcrowding in remand facilities and prisons is unsustainable, that more prison places are highly urgent both in the short and long term and that the plan's own investments in police and prosecutors will in themselves increase the need for places.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that overcrowding in remand facilities and prisons is unsustainable, that more prison places are highly urgent both in the short and long term and that the plan's own investments in police and prosecutors will in themselves increase the need for places. That is exactly the foresight the counter-proposal calls for. The plan's openness to renting places abroad, however, runs counter to the counter-proposal's rejection of private solutions, which somewhat lowers the rating.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att trängseln på häkten och anstalter är ohållbar, att fler fängelseplatser är mycket angeläget både på kort och lång sikt och att de egna satsningarna på polis och åklagare i sig kommer att öka platsbehovet. Det är precis den framförhållning motförslaget efterlyser. Planens öppning för att hyra platser utomlands ligger dock på tvärs med motförslagets avvisande av privata lösningar, vilket sänker säkerheten något.
- more prison placesdecisive»Öka antalet fängelseplatser och se över möjligheten att hyra fängelseplatser utomlands« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the number of prison places and review the possibility of renting prison places abroad”
- unsustainable overcrowding»Trängseln på landets häkten och anstalter börjar på många håll i landet bli ohållbar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The overcrowding in the country's remand facilities and prisons is becoming unsustainable in many places.”
- increased need for places follows from reforms»Moderaternas satsningar på Polisen och åklagarna kommer i sig leda till att fler personer blir frihetsberövade och att fler kommer att avtjäna fängelsestraff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates' investments in the Police and prosecutors will in themselves lead to more people being deprived of liberty and more serving prison sentences.”
- correctional service's core task»Kriminalvårdens uppgift är att verkställa de straff som utdöms« (party programme ↗)“The Correctional Service's task is to execute the sentences imposed”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto explicitly requires expanded access to prison places and substantial investments in prisons as a consequence of increased penalties and greater incapacitation.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly requires expanded access to prison places and substantial investments in prisons as a consequence of increased penalties and greater incapacitation. The counter-proposal's demand for a plan for how the correctional system shall manage growing capacity needs is thus directly supported by the plan. However, the plan's pragmatic view of operational form means that the counter-proposal's rejection of privatization lacks support.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen utökad tillgång på anstaltsplatser och kraftiga satsningar på anstalterna som en följd av skärpta straff och ökad inkapacitering. Motförslagets krav på en plan för hur kriminalvården ska klara ett växande platsbehov är därmed direkt understött av planen. Planens pragmatiska syn på driftsform gör dock att motförslagets avvisande av privatisering inte har stöd.
- more prison placesdecisive»Utöka tillgången på anstaltsplatser i och utanför Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand access to prison places in and outside Sweden”
- investments in prisons»Sverigedemokraterna vill kraftigt skärpa straffen och genomföra kraftiga satsningar på polis, åklagare och anstalter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to significantly increase penalties and make substantial investments in police, prosecutors and prisons.”
- upgraded justice system»Säkerställa satsningar för ett kraftigt upprustat rättsväsende« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure investments for a substantially upgraded justice system”
- pragmatic view of operational form»Det viktigaste för oss är i de flesta fall inte vem som utför en specifik uppgift utan att« (party programme ↗)“The most important thing for us is in most cases not who performs a specific task but that”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:JuU17)
- Committee report full text (HB01JuU17)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1271 — Förbud mot rökning på svenska anstalter av Emma Ahlström Köster (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1313 — Utbildningsinsatser under och efter anstaltstiden av Hanna Westerén (S)
- Motion 2023/24:16 — Ny kriminalvårdsanstalt i Åmål av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:1728 — Nationell struktur för avhopparverksamheten av Eva Lindh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2131 — Utökad verksamhet vid anstalten i Gävle av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2157 — Avtjänande av fängelsestraff i hemlandet av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2381 — Behov av fler häktesplatser i Eskilstuna av Hans Ekström m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2484 — Rättspolitik av Ulrika Liljeberg m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2640 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2669 — Rättspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:436 — En modern kriminalvård av Gudrun Nordborg m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:449 — Kriminalvårdsfrågor av Richard Jomshof m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:764 — Ny kriminalvårdsanstalt i Åmål av Johan Hultberg och Ann-Sofie Alm (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:794 — Utbyggnad av kriminalvårdsanstalt i Kristianstad av Per-Arne Håkansson och Ewa Pihl Krabbe (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:994 — Ett stopp för mäns våld mot kvinnor och barn av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
Source: The Swedish Parliament