The crisis in corrections

The plan demands that sentences be designed so that they actually lead to lower crime and do not worsen problems, which an overcrowded criminal justice system with double-bunking and depleted employment programmes does. That the state acts swiftly against the lack of places therefore follows from the plan, as does its view that resource shortage creates inhuman conditions for staff. The plan also links crime prevention effectiveness to good resources.

• sentences must not worsen problemsdecisive»utformade för att faktiskt leda till lägre brottslighet och inte förvärra« (party programme ↗)“designed to actually lead to lower crime and not worsen”
• carefully designed sentences»Straff och andra påföljder för brott behöver vara noggrant« (party programme ↗)“Punishment and other sentences for crime need to be carefully”
• resource shortage creates inhuman conditions»Kombinationen av marknadslösningar, byråkrati och resursbrist har skapat närmast omänskliga villkor för de samhällsbärare vi inte klarar oss utan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The combination of market solutions, bureaucracy and resource shortage has created nearly inhuman conditions for the social pillars we cannot do without.”
• good resources in the justice chain»Goda resurser till polis,« (party programme ↗)“Good resources for police,”

An uncompromising fight against crime presupposes criminal justice that works, and the election manifesto links crime prevention with work against the causes of crime. The party programme sets high demands on working conditions in jointly financed activities, which addresses staff turnover and threats to staff. That the state acts promptly against the staff shortage is therefore in line with the plan.

• uncompromising crime preventiondecisive»Kampen mot kriminaliteten ska vara kompromisslös.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against crime should be uncompromising.”
• good working conditions in public services»De gemensamt finansierade verksamheterna ska fylla högt ställda krav på bra arbetsvillkor« (party programme ↗)“The jointly financed activities should meet high demands for good working conditions”
• crime prevention work»Bekämpa både brotten och brottens orsaker.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Fight both crimes and the causes of crimes.”
• responsibility in crisis»Vi socialdemokrater står för ett ansvarstagande ledarskap för Sverige – både i kris och i medgång.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We social democrats stand for responsible leadership for Sweden – both in crisis and in prosperity.”

The plan requires a humane prison system with the goal that the sentenced person should not relapse into crime, and that sentences have a rehabilitative purpose. The space shortage, double occupancy and eroded activities that are described directly undermine this goal, while staff working conditions should be good and legal security assured. The plan therefore argues for the state to act quickly.

• humane prison system against relapsedecisive»human och ha som mål att den som dömts inte ska« (party programme ↗)“humane and aim that the sentenced person should not”
• rehabilitative sentences»Brottspåföljder har både ett brottsförebyggande« (party programme ↗)“Criminal sentences have both a crime prevention”
• legal security»Rättssäkerheten ska tryggas samtidigt som de« (party programme ↗)“Legal security shall be assured while”
• staff working conditions»god fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“good physical and psychosocial working conditions.”

The manifesto promises more resources for police, prosecutors, courts and prisons and that the entire justice chain shall be strengthened, which carries the requirement for swift measures against space shortages. The party programme's requirement that those who have committed crime shall be encouraged towards a new life situation without criminality becomes impossible to fulfill when recidivism prevention work and employment are crowded out by overcrowding.

• resources for prisonsdecisive»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 must not give in to gangs. To defeat them requires better initiatives that prevent new recruitment, more resources for police, prosecutors, courts and prisons and stricter sentences.”
• strengthen the entire justice chain»Vi behöver rusta Sveriges totalförsvar, stärka hela rättskedjan, satsa på förebyggande insatser och en likvärdig skola.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We need to strengthen Sweden's total defence, strengthen the entire justice chain, invest in preventive initiatives and an equal school.”
• recidivism prevention task»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 crime, support crime victims and encourage those who have committed illegal acts towards a new life situation without criminality.”

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 more detention facilities and prisons with more correctional officers, which is exactly the answer the counter-proposal wants to see for the shortage of places and staff. The plan also requires that prisoners be offered work, treatment, and education during their sentence, that is the meaningful occupation that according to the counter-proposal is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The plan furthermore wants to protect public employees against persecution and exposure.

• more prisons and correctional officersdecisive»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.”
• occupation for prisoners»Intagna på fängelser ska erbjudas arbete, behandling och utbildning under strafftiden.« (party programme ↗)“Prisoners shall be offered work, treatment, and education during their sentence.”
• special 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 offenders both can receive better care during their sentence and be kept away from older criminals.”
• protection for public employees»Socialsekreterare och andra offentliganställda ska skyddas mot förföljelse och utsatthet genom att ett nytt brott – tjänstemannaförföljelse – införs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Social workers and other public employees shall be protected against persecution and exposure by introducing a new crime—official persecution.”

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 demands a substantially expanded criminal care as a consequence of an expanded justice system, which directly answers the counter-proposal's demand for swift measures against lack of places and overcrowding. The plan moreover demands that criminal care can provide support to those sentenced during and after service so that recidivism is prevented, which becomes difficult when employment and recidivism prevention work are squeezed out. Prison quality is thus a plan matter, not just a resource question.

• substantially expanded criminal caredecisive»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 substantially expanded criminal care.”
• reintegration after sentence»och bostad för att denne efter avtjänat straff ska kunna återinträda i samhället och inte återfalla i brottslighet.« (party programme ↗)“and housing so that they after serving their sentence can re-enter society and not relapse into crime.”
• individual prevention»avhålla från nya brott, ska innefatta en mångfald av insatser från samhällets sida.« (party programme ↗)“deter from new crimes, shall include a multitude of measures from society.”
• drug-free prisons»Alla anstalter ska vara drogfria.« (party programme ↗)“All prisons shall be drug-free.”

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 describes itself the overcrowding in remand and detention facilities as unsustainable and states that more prison places are very urgent both in the short and long term. It also notes that investments in police and prosecutors will lead to more people being deprived of liberty, thus increased pressure. That the state urgently shall remedy the shortage is therefore exactly the plan's line.

• acute space shortage in prisonsdecisive»Trängseln på landets häkten och anstalter börjar på många håll i landet bli ohållbar. Att öka antalet fängelseplatser är därför mycket angeläget, både på kort och på lång sikt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The overcrowding in the country's remand centres and detention facilities is becoming unsustainable in many places. Increasing the number of prison places is therefore very urgent, both in the short and in the long term.”
• 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”
• more detained requires capacity»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 ↗)“Moderate investment in police and prosecutors will in itself lead to more people being deprived of liberty and more will serve prison sentences.”
• rehabilitation requires working criminal justice»kriminella en möjlighet att ta sig tillbaka in i samhällsgemenskapen.« (party programme ↗)“criminals a chance to return to community life.”

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 strong investments in police, prosecutors and prisons and explicitly wants to expand the availability of prison places both within and outside Sweden. Shortage of places, overcrowding and queues in remand facilities are exactly the problem these commitments are aimed at. For the state to act swiftly to address the situation in the Prison and Probation Service is therefore in line with the plan.

• more prison placesdecisive»Utöka tillgången på anstaltsplatser i och utanför Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand the availability of prison places both within 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 sentences and undertake strong investments in police, prosecutors and prisons.”
• strengthened justice system»Säkerställa satsningar för ett kraftigt upprustat rättsväsende« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure investments for a significantly strengthened justice system”
• functioning justice chain»Rättsväsendets samverkan mellan myndigheter och verktyg för att upptäcka och lagföra kriminella ska förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Cooperation within the justice system between authorities and tools to detect and prosecute criminals should be improved.”

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.