Government's legislative proposal

The plan demands that sentences and sanctions be designed so that they actually lead to lower crime and do not worsen problems, and that work against violent crime be based on research. Raising the proportion of sentence time that must be served, according to the counter-proposal, lacks such support and hampers reintegration, which aligns with the plan's criticism of repression and tougher measures as a solution. The plan acknowledges that certain sentences may need to be increased, but places emphasis on preventive work.

• sanctions should 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 ↗)“Sentences and other sanctions for crime need to be carefully designed to actually lead to lower crime and not worsen problems.”
• repression does not solve the problems»Alltför ofta lyfts repression och hårdare tag upp som lösningar istället för att ta itu med problemen på allvar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Too often repression and tougher measures are raised as solutions instead of seriously addressing the problems.”
• criminal policy based on research»Vi vill se ett genomgripande arbete mot våldsbrottslighet, som utgår från forskningen.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see comprehensive work against violent crime, which is based on research.”
• emphasis on prevention»Vissa straff kan behöva höjas men mycket mer fokus måste riktas mot att förhindra rekryteringen av nya barn till gängkriminalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Certain sentences may need to be increased but far more focus must be directed toward preventing the recruitment of new children into gang crime.”

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 establishes that the fight against criminality shall be uncompromising and that sentences shall be toughened, among other things for those who commit repeated and serious crimes. The party programme demands sentences in proportion to the seriousness of crimes. An increased share of sentence time before conditional release goes in that direction, and the counter-proposal's demand to refrain from the increase is therefore rejected. The plan's evidence requirement qualifies the assessment.

• toughened sentencesdecisive»Skärpa straffen för att hålla de kriminella borta från gatorna. 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 ↗)“Toughen sentences to keep criminals off the streets. We want to toughen sentences for gang-related criminality, for those who commit repeated and serious crimes and for those who support organized criminality.”
• sentences in proportion to the crime»Straff i paritet med brottens allvar.« (party programme ↗)“Sentences in proportion to the seriousness of crimes.”
• uncompromising crime fighting»Kampen mot kriminaliteten ska vara kompromisslös.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against criminality shall be uncompromising.”
• evidence-based criminal policy»Kriminalpolitik byggd på evidens, effektivitet och rättssäkerhet.« (party programme ↗)“Criminal policy built on evidence, effectiveness and legal certainty.”

The plan states that conditional release shall be the main rule, that release preparation measures shall promote readjustment and that probation sentences shall be the first choice for minor crimes. Raising the proportion of sentence served before release goes in the opposite direction and makes the rehabilitation the plan requires of the prison service more difficult. The counter-proposal's requirement not to raise the quota proportion thus follows from the plan.

• conditional release as main ruledecisive»frigivning ska vara huvudregel och utslussningsåtgärder ska främja återanpassning i« (party programme ↗)“release shall be the main rule and release preparation measures shall promote readjustment in”
• probation before prison»Frivårdspåföljder ska användas som förstahandsval vid lindrigare brott.« (party programme ↗)“Probation sentences shall be used as the first choice for minor crimes.”
• rehabilitative imprisonment»Kriminalvården ska ha goda förutsättningar att arbeta« (party programme ↗)“The prison service shall have good conditions to work”
• release preparation after sentence»införa en utslussningsverksamhet när straffet är avtjänat« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a release preparation scheme when the sentence has been served”

The plan requires tougher and stricter sentences as part of strengthening the entire criminal justice system, and wants to increase sentences for several types of crime. Not increasing the proportion of the sentence that must be served before conditional release means that the actual sentence length remains unchanged, which contradicts that commitment. Certainly, the plan also wants to give prisons more resources and encourage a life without crime, but that does not override the sentence-enhancement line.

• tougher sentencesdecisive»Sverige behöver fler poliser, hårdare straff och bättre förebyggande insatser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs more police, tougher sentences, and better preventive efforts”
• stricter sentences and strengthened criminal justice system»mer resurser till polis, åklagare, domstolar och kriminalvården och strängare straff« (2022 manifesto ↗)“more resources for police, prosecutors, courts, and prisons and stricter sentences”
• increased sentences for serious crimes»Vi vill höja straffen för sexualbrott, grov fridskränkning och grov kvinnofridskränkning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to increase sentences for sexual offences, aggravated assault, and aggravated assault against women.”
• both deterrence and rehabilitation»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 must therefore both prevent and deter crime, support those affected by crime, and encourage those who have committed illegal acts towards a new life situation without crime.”

The plan explicitly requires that the nearly automatic release from prison sentences be abolished and that habitual criminals be kept locked up instead of being released. The counter-proposal precisely does not want to increase the proportion of the sentence that must be served before release. This stands in direct conflict with the plan's commitment, which also states that reoffending shall result in harsher penalties.

• abolished automatic releasedecisive»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, eliminate the nearly automatic release from prison sentences and increase penalties for, among other things, weapons offenses, rape and extortion.”
• longer detention of reoffenders»Livsstilskriminella ska hållas inlåsta i stället för att släppas ut på våra gator.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Habitual criminals shall be kept locked up instead of being released onto our streets.”
• harsher penalties for reoffending»Återfall och upprepad brottslighet ska ge strängare straff, liksom medverkan i organiserad brottslighet.« (party programme ↗)“Reoffending and repeated crime shall result in harsher penalties, as shall participation in organized crime.”
• expanded correctional capacity»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 detention facilities and prisons with more correctional officers.”

The election manifesto demands sharply increased penalties and significantly expanded criminal care, and the party programme builds the penalty system on general prevention: society must make clear that crime is followed by punishment. The counter-proposal's demand not to raise the proportion of sentence time to be served before release contradicts this. The plan's requirement for reintegration is a genuine opposing commitment, but it does not support omitting the increase.

• increased penaltiesdecisive»Skärp straffet för vapenbrott till lägst fem års fängelse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the penalty for weapon offences to at least five years' imprisonment.”
• general prevention»Allmänpreventionen, det vill säga att samhället gör klart att på brott följer straff, ska« (party programme ↗)“General prevention, that is, that society makes clear that crime is followed by punishment, should”
• significantly expanded prison service»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 a significantly expanded prison service.”
• reintegration of the convicted»Den som är dömd för brott ska återanpassas så att« (party programme ↗)“A person convicted of a crime shall be reintegrated so that”

The plan is unambiguous on the matter: the sentence reductions shall be removed, repeat offences shall meet strong sentence increases and opportunities for conditional release shall be limited. The counter-proposal's demand not to raise the proportion of time served goes straight against this. The objection about strained prisons is met in the plan by more prison places and the possibility of renting places abroad.

• limited conditional releasedecisive»Begränsa möjligheterna till permission och villkorlig frigivning för gängkriminella« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Limit opportunities for parole and conditional release for gang criminals”
• no sentence reductions»Ta bort alla straffrabatter för den som fyllt 18 år och slopa dagens mängdrabatter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove all sentence reductions for those who have reached 18 years of age and abolish today's quantity reductions”
• sharpened penalties for repeat offences»Införa ett system med kraftiga straffskärpningar vid återfall« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a system with strong sentence increases for repeat offences”
• more prison places»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”

The plan explicitly requires that the entire prison sentence must be served before conditions can be set for release and that criminal policy should be reoriented toward incapacitation. The counter-proposal does not want to increase the proportion of the prison sentence that must be served and invokes rehabilitation and the burden on the prison service, which directly contradicts the plan. The plan also meets the capacity objection with more prison places.

• entire sentence must be serveddecisive»hela strafftiden ska tjänas av innan villkor kan ställas för frigivning för den som döms till fängelse« (2022 manifesto ↗)“the entire prison sentence must be served before conditions can be set for release for those sentenced to imprisonment”
• incarceration of criminals»Sverigedemokraterna vill lägga om kriminalpolitiken till att i högre grad låsa in och utvisa de kriminella som skapar otrygghet och begår brott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to reorient criminal policy to a greater extent toward locking up and deporting the criminals who create insecurity and commit crimes.”
• more prison places»Utöka tillgången på anstaltsplatser i och utanför Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand the supply of prison places in and outside Sweden”
• zero tolerance for crime»Införa nolltolerans mot brott så att även mindre allvarliga brott utreds och lagförs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce zero tolerance for crime so that even less serious crimes are investigated and prosecuted”