2026-05-062025/26:JuU30 · p.2JuUJustice
Special discharge assessment for young people who commit particularly serious crimes
What's at stake: The decision concerns how much extra scrutiny and review should take place before young people with a high risk of reoffending are released after serving a custodial sentence for very serious crimes. It affects both the young people serving such sentences and the public's protection against reoffending in serious crime.
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 a special release review should be introduced for 15-18-year-olds sentenced to a custodial sanction for particularly serious crimes and assessed as having a high risk of reoffending, on top of the ordinary system of conditional release proposed to apply when young people are sentenced to prison.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
Under the reform, children and young people sentenced to prison instead of closed youth care will be covered by the ordinary system of conditional release, and on the transition from custody to freedom they will as a rule be placed under supervision. Against that background, the committee rejects the motion calling for an additional special release review to be introduced for young people in this age group who commit particularly serious crimes.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (S)
The reservation (S) wants to introduce, in addition to the ordinary system of conditional release, a special release review for 15-18-year-olds sentenced to a custodial sanction and assessed as having a high risk of reoffending in serious crime. The reasoning is that this group often faces a significant risk of reoffending, and the Riksdag should therefore direct the government to introduce such a review.
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 3 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Abstain 1/0/20/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/106/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | Yes | Yes 18/0/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Yes 24/0/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 16/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 19/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | No | Yes 65/0/0/1 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| SD | No | Yes 70/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
Broke with the party line
| VMalin Östh (V, Östergötlands län) | Yes — party line: Abstain |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2025/26:3586 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S) point 25.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2025/26:3586 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) yrkande 25.
Riksdag decision: For anyone who has committed a crime and is between 15–17 years of age, if a deprivation of liberty penalty cannot be avoided, the penalty shall be determined as imprisonment instead of closed youth care. The Riksdag approved the Government's proposal on this. According to current rules, a person aged 15–17 who commits such a serious crime that it leads to a deprivation of liberty penalty shall, as a general rule, be sentenced to closed youth care instead of imprisonment. Closed youth care is implemented by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service and the sentenced person is placed at a special youth facility (SiS facility). The decision means that children and young people in these cases shall instead be sentenced to imprisonment. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service becomes responsible for implementing the penalty and closed youth care is removed from the penalty system. This further means, among other things, the following: Children sentenced to imprisonment shall, as a general rule, be placed in special children's and youth units, which shall be specially adapted based on children's needs and rights. By the penalty becoming imprisonment, children and young people are covered by the system of conditional release and when transitioning from detention to freedom they shall, as a starting point, be placed under supervision in order to provide them with the support and control they need (which differs from the penalty of closed youth care). The imposed sentence becomes in itself longer, since four years of closed youth care corresponds to six years of imprisonment. However, the deprivation of liberty part is not always longer since part of the sentence can be served outside detention after conditional release. The legislative changes enter into force, in all material respects, on 1 July 2026.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to introduce a special discharge testing for young people committing serious crimes who are assessed to have high recidivism risk. (S) — Reservation 3
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 requires that sanctions are carefully designed to actually reduce crime and not worsen problems, and places emphasis on breaking destructive life paths rather than on prolonged deprivation of liberty.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that sanctions are carefully designed to actually reduce crime and not worsen problems, and places emphasis on breaking destructive life paths rather than on prolonged deprivation of liberty. A special parole hearing for 15–18-year-olds based on assessed reoffending risk goes in the opposite direction and also meets the plan's requirement on the best interests of the child. The plan accepts higher penalties in certain cases, but explicitly prioritizes preventive work.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att påföljder utformas noggrant för att faktiskt sänka brottsligheten och inte förvärra problem, och lägger tyngdpunkten på att bryta destruktiva levnadsbanor snarare än på förlängt frihetsberövande. En särskild utskrivningsprövning för 15-18-åringar grundad på bedömd återfallsrisk går i motsatt riktning och möter dessutom planens krav på barnets bästa. Planen accepterar höjda straff i vissa fall, men prioriterar uttryckligen förebyggande arbete.
- sanctions shall reduce crimedecisive»Straff och andra påföljder för brott behöver vara noggrant utformade för att faktiskt leda till lägre brottslighet och inte förvärra problem.« (party programme ↗)“Punishment and other sanctions for crime need to be carefully designed to actually lead to lower crime and not worsen problems.”
- well-considered view of humanity»Vägen till ett samhälle med låg brottslighet går genom en genomtänkt människosyn« (party programme ↗)“The path to a society with low crime goes through a well-considered view of humanity”
- prevention before toughening»Vissa straff kan behöva höjas men mycket mer fokus måste riktas mot att förhindra rekryteringen av nya barn till gängkriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Some punishments may need to be raised but much more focus must be directed towards preventing the recruitment of new children to gang crime.”
- best interests of the child»principen att i varje läge se till barnets bästa« (party programme ↗)“the principle that in all cases look to the best interests of the child”
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 wants to increase sentences to keep criminals off the streets, particularly in cases of repeated and serious crime.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to increase sentences to keep criminals off the streets, particularly in cases of repeated and serious crime. A special release evaluation for young people with high recidivism risk is a measure of precisely that kind and complements the plan's requirement for offensive measures against recruitment. That the plan simultaneously emphasizes rehabilitation and reintegration into society speaks against automatic release without risk assessment.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill skärpa straffen för att hålla kriminella borta från gatorna, särskilt vid upprepad och allvarlig brottslighet. En särskild utskrivningsprövning för unga med hög återfallsrisk är en åtgärd av just det slaget och kompletterar planens krav på offensiva insatser mot nyrekrytering. Att planen samtidigt betonar rehabilitering och återgång i samhället talar emot en automatisk frigivning utan riskprövning.
- criminals off the streetsdecisive»Skärpa straffen för att hålla de kriminella borta från gatorna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase sentences to keep criminals off the streets.”
- increased sentences for recidivism»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 increase sentences particularly for gang-related crime, for those who commit repeated and serious crimes and for those who support organized crime.”
- rehabilitation upon release»Fokus på rehabilitering och återgång i samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Focus on rehabilitation and reintegration into society.”
- stopped recruitment»Offensiva insatser mot nyrekrytering och utnyttjande av barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“Offensive measures against recruitment and exploitation of children and young people.”
The party programme establishes that conditional release shall be the main rule and that release support measures shall promote reintegration in society, and the election manifesto wants to introduce release support activities when the sentence is served.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that conditional release shall be the main rule and that release support measures shall promote reintegration in society, and the election manifesto wants to introduce release support activities when the sentence is served. A special discharge assessment that allows a risk assessment to delay release for 15-18-year-olds goes in the opposite direction. The plan's line is rehabilitation and reintegration, not extended deprivation of liberty.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att villkorlig frigivning ska vara huvudregel och att utslussningsåtgärder ska främja återanpassning i samhället, och valmanifestet vill införa utslussningsverksamhet när straffet är avtjänat. En särskild utskrivningsprövning som låter en riskbedömning skjuta upp frigivningen för 15-18-åringar går i motsatt riktning. Planens linje är rehabilitering och återanpassning, inte förlängt frihetsberövande.
- conditional release as the main ruledecisive»frigivning ska vara huvudregel och utslussningsåtgärder ska främja återanpassning i« (party programme ↗)“release shall be the main rule and release support measures shall promote reintegration in”
- release support after sentence served»införa en utslussningsverksamhet när straffet är avtjänat« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce release support activities when the sentence is served”
- rehabilitation before custody»Kriminalvården ska ha goda förutsättningar att arbeta« (party programme ↗)“Criminal care shall have good conditions to work”
The plan defends the individual's rights against the state and rejects preventive exceptions from ordinary legal principles, and a special discharge assessment based on assessed recidivism risk for a delimited age group is precisely such an exception.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan defends the individual's rights against the state and rejects preventive exceptions from ordinary legal principles, and a special discharge assessment based on assessed recidivism risk for a delimited age group is precisely such an exception. The plan's criminal policy should additionally encourage someone who has committed a crime towards a new life situation without crime and value every child's right. The plan's demand for stricter sentences against gangs pulls in the opposite direction, hence the conclusion is uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen försvarar individens rättigheter gentemot staten och avvisar preventiva undantag från vanliga rättsprinciper, och en särskild utskrivningsprövning grundad på bedömd återfallsrisk för en avgränsad åldersgrupp är just ett sådant undantag. Planens kriminalpolitik ska dessutom stimulera den som begått brott till en ny livssituation utan brottslighet och värna varje barns rätt. Planens krav på strängare straff mot gängen drar åt motsatt håll, varför slutsatsen är osäker.
- no to preventive exceptionsdecisive»Rättsstaten och individens rättigheter gentemot staten måste försvaras. Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rule of law and the individual's rights against the state must be defended. We therefore say no to search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive surveillance, and restrictions on religious freedom.”
- reintegration after crime»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 from crime, support those harmed by crime, and encourage those who have committed illegal acts towards a new life situation without crime.”
- the child's right is valued»Särskilt viktigt är att värna varje barns rätt att bli respekterad och att bli sedd för den man är.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly important is to value every child's right to be respected and seen for who they are.”
- stricter sentences against gangs»Samhället ska inte vika sig för gängen. För att besegra dem krävs bättre insatser som förebygger nyrekrytering, mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall not yield to gangs. To defeat them requires better measures to prevent recruitment, more resources for police, prosecutors, courts, and correctional services, and stricter sentences.”
The plan wants to abolish the near-automatic release from prison sentences and extend the maximum care time so that young people who have committed very serious crimes are not released too early.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to abolish the near-automatic release from prison sentences and extend the maximum care time so that young people who have committed very serious crimes are not released too early. A special release assessment for 15-18-year-olds with high recidivism risk is precisely such a barrier against automatic release. The plan also explicitly links stricter responses to recidivism risk.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill slopa den närmast automatiska frigivningen från fängelsestraff och förlänga den maximala vårdtiden så att unga som begått mycket grova brott inte släpps fria för tidigt. En särskild utskrivningsprövning för 15–18-åringar med hög återfallsrisk är precis en sådan spärr mot automatisk frigivning. Planen kopplar också uttryckligen strängare reaktioner till återfallsrisk.
- no early release for youthdecisive»Den maximala vårdtiden för sluten ungdomsvård ska förlängas, så att unga mördare som i dag inte ska kunna släppas fria efter fyra år.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The maximum care time for closed youth care shall be extended, so that young murderers as today shall not be able to be released after four years.”
- abolished automatic release»Vi vill avskaffa dagens mängdrabatt på brott, slopa den närmast automatiska frigivningen från fängelsestraff och skärpa straffen för bland annat vapenbrott, våldtäkt och utpressning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to abolish today's quantity discount on crimes, abolish the near-automatic release from prison sentences and tighten penalties for among other things weapons crimes, rape and extortion.”
- recidivism receives stricter sentences»Återfall och upprepad brottslighet ska ge strängare straff, liksom medverkan i organiserad brottslighet.« (party programme ↗)“Recidivism and repeated criminality shall receive stricter sentences, as shall participation in organized crime.”
- youth prisons»Vi vill inrätta särskilda fängelser så att unga kriminella både kan få bättre vård under sitt straff och hållas undan äldre brottslingar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to establish special prisons so that young criminals can both receive better care during their sentence and be kept away from older offenders.”
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.
According to the plan, sanctions should both deter the offender from new crimes and protect society, and the election manifesto explicitly accepts conditions tied to conditional release.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
According to the plan, sanctions should both deter the offender from new crimes and protect society, and the election manifesto explicitly accepts conditions tied to conditional release. A special release assessment for young people with high recidivism risk is precisely such a protection-oriented condition. The plan's principle of normally time-limited sanctions qualifies but does not override this, since the assessment concerns release and not sentence length.
Original (Swedish)
Enligt planen ska påföljder både avhålla förövaren från nya brott och skydda samhället, och valmanifestet accepterar uttryckligen villkor kopplade till villkorlig frigivning. En särskild utskrivningsprövning för unga med hög återfallsrisk är just ett sådant skyddsinriktat villkor. Planens princip om normalt tidsbestämd påföljd kvalificerar men upphäver inte detta, eftersom prövningen avser frigivningen och inte strafftiden.
- sanction should protect societydecisive»Påföljder för brott ska tjäna flera ändamål: de ska avhålla förövarna från nya brott och de ska avskräcka andra från liknande handlingar samt skydda samhället mot övergrepp och andra destruktiva handlingar.« (party programme ↗)“Sanctions for crime should serve several purposes: they should deter offenders from new crimes and they should discourage others from similar actions and protect society against assaults and other destructive actions.”
- compulsory measures against young offenders»Stärk sociala insatser och socialtjänstens möjligheter till tvingande åtgärder gentemot barn och unga som begår brott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen social services and social services' possibilities for compulsory measures against children and young people who commit crimes.”
- conditions for conditional release»kemisk kastrering som villkor för villkorlig frigivning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“chemical castration as a condition for conditional release”
- time-limited sanction»Den utdömda påföljden ska normalt vara tidsbestämd.« (party programme ↗)“The imposed sanction shall normally be time-limited.”
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 wishes to introduce a new type of preventive detention so that dangerous offenders can be kept in custody as long as they are dangerous to the public, and severe enhancements for reoffending.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes to introduce a new type of preventive detention so that dangerous offenders can be kept in custody as long as they are dangerous to the public, and severe enhancements for reoffending. It also wishes particularly that young offenders with high reoffending risk meet clear deprivation of liberty consequences. A special release hearing for 15-18-year-olds with high reoffending risk is just such a risk-based hearing before release. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demands.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill införa en ny typ av förvaringsstraff så att samhällsfarliga brottslingar kan hållas frihetsberövade så länge de är farliga för allmänheten, och kraftiga skärpningar vid återfall. Den vill dessutom särskilt att unga lagöverträdare med hög återfallsrisk möts av tydliga frihetsberövande konsekvenser. En särskild utskrivningsprövning för 15-18-åringar med hög återfallsrisk är just en sådan riskbaserad prövning inför frigivning. Planen stöder därför motförslagets krav.
- deprivation of liberty while dangerousdecisive»Införa en ny typ av förvaringsstraff så att serievåldtäktsmän och andra samhällsfarliga brottslingar kan sitta frihetsberövade så länge de är farliga för allmänheten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a new type of preventive detention so that serial rapists and other dangerous offenders can remain in custody as long as they are dangerous to the public”
- reoffending risk drives decisions for young offenders»Se till att fler unga lagöverträdare häktas när det rör sig om allvarliga brott och det finns risk för återfall« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that more young offenders are remanded when it concerns serious crimes and there is risk of reoffending”
- enhancements for reoffending»Införa ett system med kraftiga straffskärpningar vid återfall« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a system with severe sentence enhancements for reoffending”
- limited conditional release»Begränsa möjligheterna till permission och villkorlig frigivning för gängkriminella« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Limit possibilities for leave and conditional release for gang criminals”
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's criminal policy core is incapacitation: dangerous criminals shall be prevented from committing new crimes, those who commit crimes in gang environments shall be able to be sentenced to very long prison sentences or detention for indefinite time, and the entire sentence shall be served before conditions for release are set.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's criminal policy core is incapacitation: dangerous criminals shall be prevented from committing new crimes, those who commit crimes in gang environments shall be able to be sentenced to very long prison sentences or detention for indefinite time, and the entire sentence shall be served before conditions for release are set. Special release assessment for young people with high recidivism risk follows directly from that line. The plan also wishes to lower the criminal age limit and intervene harder early against young people in criminal environments.
Original (Swedish)
Planens kriminalpolitiska kärna är inkapacitering: farliga kriminella ska hindras från att begå nya brott, den som begår brott i gängmiljö ska kunna dömas till mycket långa straff eller förvaring på obestämd tid, och hela strafftiden ska avtjänas innan villkor för frigivning ställs. En särskild utskrivningsprövning för unga med hög återfallsrisk följer direkt av den linjen. Planen vill dessutom sänka straffmyndighetsåldern och ingripa hårdare tidigt mot unga i kriminella miljöer.
- detention of dangerousdecisive»Den som finns i gängmiljö och begår brott ska kunna dömas till särskilt långa fängelsestraff eller förvaring på obestämd tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Those who are in a gang environment and commit crimes shall be able to be sentenced to particularly long prison sentences or detention for indefinite time.”
- full sentence served»hela strafftiden ska tjänas av innan villkor kan ställas för frigivning för den som döms till fängelse« (2022 manifesto ↗)“the entire sentence shall be served before conditions can be set for release for those sentenced to imprisonment”
- incapacitation against recidivism»genom inkapacitering hindra att farliga kriminella kan begå nya brott« (2022 manifesto ↗)“through incapacitation prevent dangerous criminals from committing new crimes”
- tougher line against the young»Sänka straffmyndighetsåldern« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the criminal age limit”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:JuU30)
- Committee report full text (HD01JuU30)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:3530 — Ingen sänkt straffmyndighetsålder eller införande av barnfängelser av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3586 — Utgiftsområde 4 Rättsväsendet av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:3645 — Utgiftsområde 9 Hälsovård, sjukvård och social omsorg av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:3920 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:132 Frihetsberövande påföljder för barn och unga av Gudrun Nordborg m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:3929 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:132 Frihetsberövande påföljder för barn och unga av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Proposition 2025/26:132 — Frihetsberövande påföljder för barn och unga
Source: The Swedish Parliament