2024-04-242023/24:JuU17 · p.10JuUJustice
Exit programs for young people
Gang-exit support aimed at young people
What's at stake: Children and young people drawn into criminal gangs and serious violence are at the centre of the issue, and the outcome affects how quickly and how specifically adapted the support is that they and their families can receive to leave that environment.
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 specifically adapt gang-exit support to young people exploited by criminal gangs, or whether already ongoing national efforts and cooperation between authorities are sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that on two earlier occasions it directed the government to establish a national gang-exit programme, and that several authorities have recently reported on their assignment to create long-term sustainable conditions for gang-exit services nationwide, which the government is now analysing; the committee therefore sees no reason for a further formal statement.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 10 (S, C)
Gang-exit support must be adapted to the fact that children today are ruthlessly exploited by criminal gangs and commit serious acts of violence; this often requires extensive measures with special requirements for children, well-functioning cooperation between all involved actors, and the government should take action to help children leave these harmful environments.
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 10 by S, C.
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, LLiberalerna, MModeraterna, VVänsterpartiet
Ja 191–115Nej 80–226
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 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/92/0/14 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | differs | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | No 0/22/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 17/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:2484 by Ulrika Liljeberg et al. (C) provision 4 and 2023/24:2640 by Ardalan Shekarabi et al. (S) provision 29.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:2484 av Ulrika Liljeberg m.fl. (C) yrkande 4 och 2023/24:2640 av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S) yrkande 29.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 50 proposals in motions on correctional affairs that were submitted during the general motion period in 2023. The motions dealt with, among other things, security within Kriminalvården (the Swedish Prison and Probation Service), conditional release, and exit programs. Exit programs mean supporting individuals who have chosen to leave organized crime. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to ongoing investigative work in the field.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to ensure the Correctional Service's recidivism-preventing work continues with engaged personnel and science-based programmes. (S, C) — Reservation 10
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 explicitly points to an effective exit programme as one of the tools against crime and says that focus must primarily be directed toward preventing recruitment of children into gang crime.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly points to an effective exit programme as one of the tools against crime and says that focus must primarily be directed toward preventing recruitment of children into gang crime. To adapt exit activities to prevent children being exploited by criminal networks, with special requirements for children and functioning cooperation, is the same commitment. The plan supports the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen pekar uttryckligen ut ett effektivt avhopparprogram som ett av verktygen mot kriminaliteten och säger att fokus framför allt måste riktas mot att hindra rekryteringen av barn till gängkriminalitet. Att anpassa avhopparverksamheten till att barn utnyttjas av kriminella nätverk, med särskilda krav för barn och fungerande samverkan, är samma åtagande. Planen stöder kravet.
- effective exit activitiesdecisive»ett effektivt avhopparprogram« (2022 manifesto ↗)“an effective exit programme”
- protect children from new recruitment»Vissa straff kan behöva höjas men mycket mer fokus måste riktas mot att förhindra rekryteringen av nya barn till gängkriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Some sentences may need to be increased but much more focus must be directed toward preventing recruitment of new children into gang crime.”
- social services child protection»förstärk socialtjänsten med tillräckliga resurser och kunskap för att arbeta både förebyggande och med barnskydd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen social services with sufficient resources and knowledge to work both preventively and with child protection”
- resources for cooperating activities»Skola och fritidsverksamheter behöver ges bättre resurser, likaså socialtjänsten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School and leisure activities need to be given better resources, as does social services.”
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's commitment is that no young person shall become criminal and that recruitment shall be halted with more and more comprehensive social interventions.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's commitment is that no young person shall become criminal and that recruitment shall be halted with more and more comprehensive social interventions. Adapted exit programmes for children exploited by criminal networks are one such intervention, and the plan identifies the social services and good role models as crucial. The counter-proposal's requirement on cooperation between all involved actors thereby aligns with the plan's direction.
Original (Swedish)
Planens åtagande är att ingen ung ska bli kriminell och att nyrekryteringen ska stoppas med fler och mer långtgående sociala insatser. Anpassad avhopparverksamhet för barn som utnyttjas av kriminella nätverk är en sådan insats, och planen pekar ut socialtjänsten och goda förebilder som avgörande. Motförslagets krav om samverkan mellan alla inblandade aktörer ligger därmed i planens riktning.
- halt recruitmentdecisive»Ingen ung ska bli kriminell. Nyrekryteringen måste stoppas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No young person shall become criminal. Recruitment must be halted.”
- comprehensive social interventions»Vi vill se fler och mer långtgående sociala insatser och föräldrar ska vara skyldiga att medverka när deras barn behöver socialtjänstens åtgärder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see more and more comprehensive social interventions and parents shall be obligated to participate when their children need social services interventions.”
- strengthened social services»Att socialtjänsten stärks är centralt för att fånga upp unga i tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthening the social services is central to reaching young people early.”
- away from criminal environments»Alla barn ska ha goda förebilder – inte omges av kriminella.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All children shall have good role models – not be surrounded by criminals.”
The election manifesto wants to make it easier for young people to break free from gangs' destructive life and introduce exit assistance activities after serving sentences.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto wants to make it easier for young people to break free from gangs' destructive life and introduce exit assistance activities after serving sentences. It also wants to ease secrecy so that police, schools and social services can cooperate and no children fall through the cracks. Adapted exit assistance with special requirements for children and functioning cooperation is thus in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet vill göra det lättare för unga att bryta sig fri från gängens destruktiva liv och införa utslussningsverksamhet efter avtjänat straff. Det vill också lätta sekretessen så att polis, skola och socialtjänst kan samverka och inga barn falla mellan stolarna. Anpassad avhopparverksamhet med särskilda krav för barn och fungerande samverkan ligger därmed i linje med planen.
- easier to leave gangsdecisive»gör det lättare att bryta sig fri från deras destruktiva liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“makes it easier to break free from their destructive life.”
- care and exit assistance for young people»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 ↗)“increase the maximum period for closed youth care and strengthen care measures and education while the young person is deprived of liberty, as well as introduce an exit assistance activity when the sentence has been served.”
- cooperation around children»lätta på sekretessen mellan områdespoliser, skola, socialtjänst och stärka samarbetet med civilsamhälle så att inga barn faller mellan stolarna i det förebyggande arbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“ease secrecy between district police, schools, social services and strengthen cooperation with civil society so that no children fall through the cracks in preventative work.”
- early action for vulnerable children»minska marginaliseringen och utsattheten i samhället. Barn i behov av särskilt stöd ska uppmärksammas och ges adekvat hjälp av bland annat« (party programme ↗)“reduce marginalisation and vulnerability in society. Children in need of special support shall be noticed and given adequate help from, among others,”
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 party programme requires criminal policy to stimulate those who have committed crimes to a new life situation without criminality, and the election manifesto demands better measures to prevent re-recruitment.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires criminal policy to stimulate those who have committed crimes to a new life situation without criminality, and the election manifesto demands better measures to prevent re-recruitment. Adapting exit programmes to children exploited by criminal networks and securing cooperation between actors is a direct application. The plan also requires that preventive work starts early and permeates the whole of society.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet ålägger kriminalpolitiken att stimulera dem som begått brott till en ny livssituation utan brottslighet, och valmanifestet kräver bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering. Att anpassa avhopparverksamheten till att barn utnyttjas av kriminella nätverk och säkra samverkan mellan aktörerna är en direkt tillämpning. Planen kräver också att förebyggande arbete börjar tidigt och genomsyrar hela samhället.
- way out of criminalitydecisive»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 should therefore both prevent and deter crime, support crime victims and stimulate those who have committed illegal acts to a new life situation without criminality.”
- prevent re-recruitment»För att besegra dem krävs bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To defeat them requires better measures that prevent re-recruitment, more resources for police, prosecutors, courts and the penal system and stricter sentences.”
- early measures for children»Det förebyggande arbetet måste börja tidigt och genomsyra hela samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Preventive work must start early and permeate the whole of society.”
The election manifesto promises a national exit programme so that more shall be able to leave a criminal life, and wants significantly more children raised into criminality to be able to be taken into care.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises a national exit programme so that more shall be able to leave a criminal life, and wants significantly more children raised into criminality to be able to be taken into care. The party programme emphasises early and clear interventions for young offenders and civil society's role for the way out. The counter-proposal's requirement for exit activities adapted to children exploited by criminal networks is precisely this.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar ett nationellt avhopparprogram så att fler ska kunna lämna ett kriminellt liv, och vill att betydligt fler barn som fostras in i kriminalitet ska kunna omhändertas. Partiprogrammet betonar tidiga och tydliga insatser för unga lagöverträdare och civilsamhällets roll för vägen ut. Motförslagets krav på avhopparverksamhet anpassad till barn som utnyttjas av kriminella nätverk är just detta.
- national exit programmedecisive»Ett nationellt avhopparprogram ska införas för att fler ska kunna lämna ett kriminellt liv bakom sig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A national exit programme shall be introduced so that more shall be able to leave a criminal life behind.”
- protect children in criminal environments»att betydligt fler barn som fostras in i kriminalitet eller själva begår grova brott ska kunna omhändertas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“that significantly more children raised into criminality or who themselves commit serious crimes shall be able to be taken into care.”
- early interventions for young people»Tidiga och tydliga insatser för unga brottslingar ökar möjligheten att bryta ett kriminellt beteende.« (party programme ↗)“Early and clear interventions for young offenders increase the possibility of breaking a criminal pattern of behaviour.”
- civil society's role in exit»Det civila samhället kan stärka den enskildes väg« (party programme ↗)“Civil society can strengthen the individual's path”
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 promises a national exit programme and a strengthened associational life with mentorship programmes, and strengthened social action and a national social action force so that the preventative work becomes more equal throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises a national exit programme and a strengthened associational life with mentorship programmes, and strengthened social action and a national social action force so that the preventative work becomes more equal throughout the country. The party programme obliges social services, police and school to in close cooperation early prevent crime in children. The counter-proposal's demand for adapted exit activity for children follows directly from this.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen ett nationellt avhopparprogram och ett stärkt föreningsliv med mentorskapsprogram, samt stärkta sociala insatser och en nationell social insatsstyrka så att det förebyggande arbetet blir mer lika i landet. Partiprogrammet ålägger socialtjänst, polis och skola att i nära samverkan tidigt förhindra kriminalitet hos barn. Motförslagets krav på anpassad avhopparverksamhet för barn följer direkt av detta.
- national exit programmedecisive»Förebygg brott genom att stärka föreningslivet samt inrättande av mentorskapsprogram och nationellt avhopparprogram.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prevent crime by strengthening associational life and establishing mentorship programmes and a national exit programme.”
- special action for young people»Stärk sociala insatser och socialtjänstens möjligheter till tvingande åtgärder gentemot barn och unga som begår brott. Inrätta en nationell social insatsstyrka, så det förebyggande arbetet stärks och blir mer lika i landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen social action and social services' possibilities for compulsory measures against children and young people who commit crime. Establish a national social action force, so the preventative work is strengthened and becomes more equal throughout the country.”
- early prevent youth crime»förhindra kriminalitet hos barn och ungdomar« (party programme ↗)“prevent crime in children and young people”
- counter recruitment of young people»Beslagta kriminellas statussymboler och bekämpa på så sätt negativa förebilder som rekryterar unga in i gängkriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Confiscate criminals' status symbols and thereby combat negative role models that recruit young people into gang crime.”
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 promises a national exit programme for gang criminals and a national no entry programme for young people in risk zones, with stated purpose to stop a begun criminal career and prevent children being recruited into crime.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises a national exit programme for gang criminals and a national no entry programme for young people in risk zones, with stated purpose to stop a begun criminal career and prevent children being recruited into crime. The counter-proposal's demand that exit work be adapted to children exploited by criminal networks is the same commitment. The plan therefore supports the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar ett nationellt avhopparprogram för gängkriminella och ett nationellt no entry-program för unga i riskzonen, med uttalat syfte att stoppa en påbörjad kriminell karriär och hindra att barn rekryteras in i kriminalitet. Motförslagets krav på att avhopparverksamheten anpassas till barn som utnyttjas av kriminella nätverk är samma åtagande. Planen stöder därför kravet.
- national exit programmedecisive»Inrätta ett nationellt kunskapscentrum för brottsprevention och ett nationellt avhopparprogram för gängkriminella« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a national knowledge centre for crime prevention and a national exit programme for gang criminals”
- no entry programme for young people»Ta bort sekretesshindren mellan polis och socialtjänst samt inrätta ett nationellt no entry-program för unga i riskzonen i syfte att snabbt stoppa en påbörjad kriminell karriär« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove confidentiality barriers between police and social services and establish a national no entry programme for young people in risk zones for the purpose of quickly stopping a begun criminal career”
- stop recruitment of children»Där kan de inte begå fler brott och inte rekrytera in fler ungdomar och barn in i kriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There they cannot commit further crimes and cannot recruit further youths and children into crime.”
- care of young people»Se till att fler unga lagöverträdare omhändertas enligt lagen om vård av unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that more young offenders are taken into care under the law on care of young people”
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 requires that the attractiveness of a criminal lifestyle be broken and gives social services, police, and schools tools to intervene early, including taking children and young people into care who grow up in a negative environment.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that the attractiveness of a criminal lifestyle be broken and gives social services, police, and schools tools to intervene early, including taking children and young people into care who grow up in a negative environment. The counter-proposal's demands for adapted interventions so that children can leave criminal networks is an application of that commitment. The plan does not use the term 'exit programmes', so the coverage is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att den kriminella livsstilens attraktivitet bryts och ger socialtjänst, polis och skola verktyg att ingripa tidigt, inklusive att omhänderta barn och unga som växer upp i en negativ miljö. Motförslagets krav på anpassade insatser så att barn kan lämna kriminella nätverk är en tillämpning av det åtagandet. Planen använder inte begreppet avhopparverksamhet, varför täckningen är härledd.
- break the criminal lifestyledecisive»Bryta attraktiveten av en kriminell livsstil« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Break the attractiveness of a criminal lifestyle”
- interventions for children in gang environments»Polis, socialtjänst och kronofogde ska ges verktyg att statuera exempel och göra den kriminella livsstilen oattraktiv, t.ex. genom långtgående möjligheter att beslagta tillgångar i kretsen kring kriminella, att begränsa rörelsefriheten för gängaktiva och omhänderta barn och unga som växer upp i en negativ miljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Police, social services, and enforcement agency shall be given tools to set an example and make the criminal lifestyle unattractive, e.g., through far-reaching opportunities to seize assets from those around criminals, to restrict freedom of movement for gang members, and to take children and young people into care who grow up in a negative environment.”
- early marking on gang fringes»Det kan bara göras med samtidiga polisiära och ingripande insatser mot de individer som idag befinner sig i kriminella miljöer och med tidiga markeringar mot de som finns i gängen och klanernas utkanter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“This can only be done with simultaneous police and intervention measures against individuals who are currently in criminal environments and with early marking against those who are on the fringes of gangs and clans.”
- early interventions»Ge socialtjänst, skola och rättsväsende möjlighet att ingripa med tuffare tag i ett tidigt skede« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give social services, school, and the judiciary the opportunity to intervene with tougher measures at an early stage”
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.
Share and embed
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