The National Audit Office's report on the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities

Mats Arkhem (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Today we are going to debate issues regarding the correctional services and, more specifically, the Swedish National Audit Office's report on the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities. This is a very pressing and important subject.

For decades, at least since the 1970s when I was a child, one has heard, especially from the left, that no one becomes better by sitting locked up in prison. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, that one actually can become a better person in our institutions, at least in the sense that one does not commit new crimes or relapse into a criminal lifestyle. One is sentenced to punishment, but one serves the sentence under the care of the correctional services - the correctional services.

The goal of crime policy is to reduce crime and increase people's safety. One way to increase safety is to reduce the number of recidivisms. The Crime Prevention Council estimates that a person who repeatedly ends up in prison creates long-term societal costs of more than 9 million kronor, in addition to the costs and the suffering that the crimes themselves cause.

Many of those who are in our prisons are not Swedish citizens, and some of them are to be deported, but the vast majority who are in Swedish institutions will, despite everything, one day be out in freedom among all of us others. Therefore, the care itself in the criminal justice system, i.e., the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities, are so important for us, for our economy and for our safety - and not least for those who have been punished and have now served their sentences.

The National Audit Office has audited the effectiveness of the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities and has reached certain conclusions and recommendations in its report. First, we must understand that this concerns large amounts of taxpayers' money. The Prison and Probation Service's appropriation in 2023 was over 14 billion, which was an increase of over 60 percent since 2018. Given how society has developed, it will hardly stop there.

The Swedish National Audit Office's overall conclusion is that Kriminalvården's treatment activities are not being carried out fully effectively for several reasons. The primary reason is that there is a lack of staff who can carry out treatment activities. There is also a lack of premises to carry out the activities in. The overcrowding in our prisons thus hinders an effective treatment activity.

Here one can observe that previous governments did not understand how the societal development would turn out regarding both crime and society's response with more and longer sentences. "We didn't see it coming," as it is usually said.

It takes quite a long time to build facilities and to find, train and employ staff for these. One must hold previous governments accountable for the fact that we have such a large backlog today.

In this context, it must also be said that this is a reason why we must take a closer look at prison places abroad, especially for foreign citizens who are to be deported after serving their sentences. That serious criminals should not be sentenced is not an option.

The Prison and Probation Service's ambition is that as many as possible of the prisoners, or clients as the Prison and Probation Service calls them, who are assessed to have a medium or high risk of reoffending shall undergo at least one treatment program during their execution of sentence. In 2023, however, it was only 22 percent of the clients in prison who were assessed to have a need for treatment and 13 percent of the clients in community service who were assessed to have a need for treatment who completed a treatment program.

Prison sentences can range from two weeks to life imprisonment. Occupation in the form of treatment, education, and work shall facilitate the client's reintegration to a life in freedom. As part of the reintegration, the convicted person can, as time passes, be moved to facilities with lower security classifications. After two-thirds, the client is generally released on parole.

This poses certain difficulties for the treatment activities. One example is that clients who are moved cannot always be offered continued treatment programs. Clients in voluntary care find it much more difficult to complete treatment programs because there is so much else that influences compared to life inside the walls, such as keeping appointments or relapse into substance abuse.

Many clients who are assessed to have a need for treatment programs lack the proper conditions to utilize them. One reason may be that they do not speak Swedish. Another reason may be that Kriminalvården's clients more often suffer from addictions and poorer mental health than the population at large.

When it comes to the language, SFI can be substituted instead, but that causes the treatment program to be pushed into the future. That is, a certain length of the sentence is needed to have time for both SFI and treatment activities. There is certainly work material in different languages, but it is difficult to find program leaders who are comfortable leading these programs in languages other than Swedish.

Addiction issues and mental health in general are normally treated by general healthcare, but for security and practical reasons, Kriminalvården itself provides some healthcare at the facilities. This does not actually fall within Kriminalvården's core mandate, and in a strained space situation, it can leave some other aspects to be desired.

In summary, the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities are very important. The Prison and Probation Service has developed the activities and is actively working to identify what needs to be done to reach more people with its programs. Due to primarily a lack of space and a shortage of staff, however, it is a tough situation for the Prison and Probation Service, and the major investments in the Prison and Probation Service must continue.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sanna Backeskog (S)

Mr. Speaker! This is my first debate in the chamber since the horrific attack at Risbergska skolan. The appalling massacre in Örebro is a national trauma, so I feel that I want to begin my speech with a few words about it.

My thoughts have been in Örebro since last Tuesday, with great sorrow for those who lost their lives. My thoughts are with those who so brutally and ruthlessly lost a family member and with all the students and teachers who were on site during the incident. My thoughts are also with all those who are now afraid. The sorrow is bottomless.

I would also like to take this opportunity today to extend a warm thank you to our pillars of society – the police, healthcare personnel, teachers and school staff both at the school in question and at surrounding schools and preschools. It is always the welfare workers who are there when we need them most.

Finally, a big thank you to our political representatives who have shown great warmth and political leadership in this dreadful situation. John Johansson in Örebro, the Speaker, the Minister for Justice, the Prime Minister, and my party leader Magdalena Andersson, to name a few.

Now is not the time for political bickering. Now is the time for unity and community.

Mr. Speaker! I move to today's matter, that is to say, the Government's communication regarding the Swedish National Audit Office's review of the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities. In the communication in question, the Government has accounted for its assessments of the conclusions and recommendations that the Swedish National Audit Office provided in the report Tools for Change - The Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities.

The Swedish National Audit Office's overall conclusion is that the Swedish Prison and Probation Authority's treatment activities are not fully conducted in an efficient manner as the activities are under-dimensioned and there is a lack of both staff and premises. The Government largely agrees with the Swedish National Audit Office's observations and intends to follow the Swedish Prison and Probation Authority's work in prioritizing the treatment activities and the execution planning.

Mr. Speaker! This is a matter where I perceive that there is, in essence, a broad political consensus. That is good. We Social Democrats naturally agree with the government's statements that the recidivism prevention work carried out within institutions and community care is extremely important. The correctional services have been one of our absolutely best-functioning agencies with high confidence among the public, and it is a popular employer.

Ultimately, the Swedish Prison and Probation Authority's activities are about protecting society while convicted persons serve their sentences and prepare for a life of freedom. The Swedish prison service has long been a model for other countries due to its ability to carry out sentences while simultaneously ensuring that the inmates use their time in the institution to, as it is called, come out better. The vision "Bättre ut" (Better out) is the Prison and Probation Authority's own, and I would say that it is extremely well-anchored among all employees. It has also had very good results.

However, the fact that institutions and prisons are now so overcrowded involves several risks. The Prison and Probation Service has repeatedly reported on how the lack of space negatively affects the agency's operations regarding both content and quality, as well as the staff's safety and working environment. It is a major challenge to recruit staff at a sufficient pace. Staff turnover has increased, and there is an imbalance between experienced employees and newly hired staff. Both Seko and ST, as well as Akavia, are alerting about increasing threats and unauthorized influence against employees.

The current capacity shortage, with a lack of both physical premises and competent, experienced employees within the correctional services, leads to fewer people being able to participate in the recidivism prevention programs. To further emphasize the need to also address the structural problems that the correctional services are currently facing, it can be pointed out that only 22 percent of clients in prisons and 13 percent of clients in community care completed a treatment program during 2023, according to the National Audit Office's review.

Mr. Speaker! I am concerned. I am concerned about a development where the correctional services risk being changed to only be about detention - a penal system and a place where destructive machonorms, anti-democratic views, and radicalization can be given space to spread. The risk is that the clients, after serving their sentence in the institution, will actually come out less equipped for a life free from crime, and that would hit our society hard. We are a country that already today has major problems with violence and crime and where very young children are drawn into a criminal context.

If the correctional services are not given sufficient conditions to work on preventing criminals from reoffending, we will also not be able to stop the gangs and stop the violence. The recidivism prevention work must be prioritized highly. But also the crime prevention work - that which is carried out in our regions and municipalities in schools, by social services, and within BUP and habilitation - must be intensified, and that at a very early age. We must be able to stop the new recruitment, and we must prevent children and young people from being drawn into a criminal and violence-seeking lifestyle. That is the most serious way to tackle the great challenges we see within the correctional services.

Mr. Speaker! The Social Democrats have a reservation in the report, and I move for its approval.

I want to say something about the goals for the treatment activities. Within international treatment research, there is today a consensus that the treatments actually work, which is also supported by Kriminalvården's own effectiveness evaluations. That clients despite this do not undergo treatment is serious, because if a smaller proportion undergoes treatments, it means, all else being equal, that a larger proportion reoffends.

We Social Democrats therefore want the Riksdag to establish as a goal for the Prison and Probation Service that 90 percent of clients with a prison sentence exceeding one year shall begin a treatment program during execution.

Regarding the report of the Safety Commission, Mr. Speaker, we appreciate that the government states in its communication that the proposals shall be taken further. We want to encourage that. We Social Democrats have stood behind – and been involved in developing – the proposals in the Safety Commission's report, but we have at the same time warned that more measures and more resources are needed for the proposals in the report to be effective and truly function as recidivism prevention.

In order not to exceed my allotted speaking time too much, I nevertheless request to be allowed to return regarding specifically the Trygghetsberedningen's report in upcoming debates – hopefully also when the government has a proposition in place.

Mr. Speaker! Finally, I want to say something about the importance of a supportive environment. The National Audit Office points out that the overcrowding and lack of staff mean that the Prison and Probation Service has difficulty maintaining the supportive environment in the facilities that the clients actually need in order to be able to internalize the content of the treatment programs.

Here, the employees are a key factor. They are the ones who can offer interpersonal warmth in everyday life. They can also provide routines and boundaries and contribute to increased motivation. Therefore, personnel policy must be prioritized regarding safety work, competence development, the work environment, and wages.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I want to advocate for civil society. I have had the privilege of speaking with several organizations that work in support of Kriminalvården's clients. One quote has stuck with me particularly, and I thought I would read it out:

"Today we are releasing a young man from the institution, without a completed treatment program or any other adequate treatment, with large debts and only the clothes on his back. If the supporting society is not there, I can promise that other forces are ready to offer housing and 'jobs'. And if you do not have the basic security a human being needs, it is very difficult to resist the gangs' forces."

I mean that civil society's important role in both providing support to the individual and shaping and influencing the public debate is crucial in a democratic society. This also applies to the work of preventing recidivism. It also applies to the entire civil society: priests, imams, Kris and the Red Cross - the list can be long of organizations that can offer meaning and support in the institution and also follow the clients out, through voluntary services, to a law-abiding life in freedom. Here, civil society can be completely decisive.

However, the organizations need resources to be able to do so, and the Prison and Probation Service needs to have time to receive them - as well as physical space where the meetings can be conducted. I know that the Prison and Probation Service sees the same positive effects as we do from good cooperation with civil society, and I hope that the government heeds that and wants to develop that activity as well.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the contribution, Sanna Backeskog! I share to a very large extent the views that you have put forward.

I requested the floor because I am curious about one point, namely that you in the Social Democrats' reservation desire a willingness to undergo treatment of up to 90 percent. My question is how we achieve that. This is a question that we have been discussing for a long time: How voluntary should a treatment be? Can we force a treatment on someone? Many argue that the treatment only has an effect if there is motivation.

How are we going to make this leap from today's slightly over 20 percent all the way up to 90 percent?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sanna Backeskog (S)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member very much for the question regarding the objective.

The 20 are those who have completed a treatment program. We mean that 90 percent should start a treatment program. Kriminalvården's internal goal is today 75 percent, so it is quite a bit higher than the 20 who complete.

I believe it is very important that we have high expectations of the Prison and Probation Service and that the government ensures that the Prison and Probation Service has the conditions that are needed.

I also believe in high motivation when it comes to conducting treatment activities; I believe it is very important. We have seen that the regulatory changes during the last parliamentary term have increased the incentives to participate in treatment programs. However, people who want to participate do not get to, because there is no space, time, or resources.

With a goal for the treatment programs, the government and the Riksdag point out that they consider this to be incredibly important. Together with that, the government needs to return with a long-term and clear plan for the correctional services. This is what I intend to debate in our upcoming committee report debate.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Sanna Backeskog for the answer. I respect it, but I am still doubtful about how we are going to proceed to make this work when there is already such a great shortage of both premises and staff who are competent enough to carry out treatments.

As I will soon return to, I have a hope that we can have much more correctional care outside the facilities. That would give us new opportunities. I believe, as Backeskog does, that we must be able to provide for motivation. Do the Social Democrats have any additional thoughts on how that could work?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Sanna Backeskog (S)

Mr. Speaker! The member asked very interesting questions. I think it is very important that we have high expectations for and high confidence in one of Sweden's - in some ways - most popular authorities. This authority has enjoyed a very high level of confidence for many years.

I believe that the employees are the absolute most important key to motivation. With the goal of 90 percent, we refer to the persons who have spent a time in the institution exceeding one year. It is impossible to undergo treatment activities in two weeks. We say that those who are in the institution for over a year should, of course, have access to treatment. I think it is a fundamental right, both for the people who are there and for society as a whole.

We heard earlier a member speak about how important the correctional services' activities are to prevent recidivism and what good results the treatment activities actually provide. Speaking of which, and how this is to be implemented, there are municipalities all over the country that for many years have raised their hands and said: We want a prison in our municipality. We have the opportunity. We have the staff. We have people who want to get to work.

This work is, however, going far too slowly. We must ensure that we build more institutions around the country and offer hope and faith in the future. I believe in a high goal and high ambitions for the Prison and Probation Service's activities.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden has for a long time reacted too weakly towards the serious crime that has emerged. This has led to criminal networks being able to grow strong. Law-abiding citizens have had to pay the price in the form of insecurity, violence, and fear.

This government has changed course. We are now carrying out the largest offensive against organized crime in modern times. Society is moving its positions forward. We are tightening the penalties for serious crimes. We are criminalizing participation in criminal networks. We are giving the police the tools required to solve more crimes. We are strengthening the entire justice chain, from investigations and indictments to judgments and enforcement.

This means that more criminals are now deprived of their liberty and that more receive longer prison sentences. The Prison and Probation Service thus sees a sharp increase in the number of inmates. This puts the Prison and Probation Service under severe pressure.

That the Prison and Probation Service would come under heavy pressure was a development we anticipated. Given how crime in Sweden has developed, it was also a development we wanted. We wanted more criminals to end up in prison. We wanted more to receive harsher sentences and longer terms of imprisonment. Therefore, we have allocated historical resources to meet the Prison and Probation Service's increasing needs.

Mr. Speaker! The National Audit Office's report on the Prison and Probation Service's treatment activities addresses important issues. Reducing recidivism is a central part of criminal policy, and the government largely agrees with the observations made in the National Audit Office's report. We take the issue very seriously and are actively working to strengthen the Prison and Probation Service's opportunities to conduct an effective and result-oriented treatment activity.

The National Audit Office points out that treatment programs are not being carried out fully and are not being carried out effectively. It points out, above all, two parts in this: the lack of premises and the lack of staff.

We are well aware of these challenges; everyone sees them. In the rearview mirror, one can be critical that the expansion of the criminal justice system started as late as it did. One could choose to scold previous governments and previous ministers of justice. One can also choose to seriously tackle the problems.

We have chosen the latter and have therefore made historical investments in the Prison and Probation Service. Since this government took office, the agency has received significantly increased appropriations to be able to expand its operations. New prisons and detention centers are being built, and the workforce is growing. This is crucial to ensure that more inmates in our prisons get access to treatment programs.

Right now, new things are being built, and expansion is taking place at over 50 locations in the country. New staff are being recruited and trained. This is good, but we are not satisfied with it. In the regulatory letter to Kriminalvården, it is particularly emphasized that the treatment activities must be prioritized and that those who run the greatest risk of recidivism must receive the correct interventions during the execution of the sentence. Breaking crime patterns is an investment in safety, both for the individual and for society.

Mr. Speaker! The Prison and Probation Service's most important task is to keep convicted criminals locked up and ensure that they serve their sentences in orderly and legally secure ways. This is about protecting society and protecting crime victims. But let us also be clear that those who have the opportunity to change their lives must be able to get the right tools to do so. Therefore, the Prison and Probation Service must be able to ensure that treatment interventions are available and that they are used in an effective manner.

The Swedish National Audit Office proposes that the Prison and Probation Service should be given a specific mandate to develop a strategy to increase treatment activities. The Government agrees with this. The Prison and Probation Service is continuously working to improve and adapt its treatment interventions. It is important that the agency has flexibility to handle these issues.

At the same time, we must see reality as it is. As crime has developed, the correctional services will be under heavy pressure for a long time to come. It is important that we have a clear strategy to reduce the burden on our prisons.

Part of that strategy is to ensure that more foreign nationals sentenced to prison in Sweden can serve their sentence in their home country. Today, foreign nationals constitute a significant proportion of those held in the correctional services. An effective way to handle this would be to let more foreign nationals serve their sentence in their home country. We are also reviewing the possibility of renting prison places abroad. It is a model that is already used in several European countries and which can contribute to reducing the pressure on Sweden's own facilities.

By using all available tools, from more prison places to international cooperation, we can ensure that our justice system can handle the increased number of deprived of liberty in an efficient manner.

Mr. Speaker! We find ourselves in a time when it is important to hold many thoughts in one's head at the same time. On one hand, we need a strict and consistent crime policy where society clearly marks its opposition to crime, provides redress for crime victims, and has punishments that reflect the gravity of the crime. On the other hand, we must give those sentenced to a custodial sentence a chance to change their lives. We must give them the right tools for treatment and studies so that it is possible to emerge better. Therefore, the government has added great resources to the Prison and Probation Service, not only for more prison places but also to improve the execution and ensure and prioritize the treatment programs.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that we take this issue most seriously. We will continue to monitor the developments and take the measures required so that the Prison and Probation Service can fulfill its mission in an effective manner.

(Applause)

In this speech, Mikael Damsgaard, David Josefsson and Adam Reuterskiöld (all M) concurred.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! I requested the floor so that Member Ceimertz and I can reflect a bit further on how more treatment opportunities can be achieved in an already very crowded situation. I am not among those who prioritize incarceration as the only effective means, and I do not believe that the Member wishes that either. Incarceration should instead be combined with opportunities to get out in a better way. How, then, are we to achieve this in a very crowded situation?

I had the privilege of being a member of the Security Preparation Committee, and I have, together with party comrades, made several study visits to institutions. I have also had contact with trade unions and former inmates at institutions. Many are very concerned about the situation. Even where substantial expansions are being made, they do not get enough premises to carry out treatment and education.

How are we going to make this work? Does the member have any time horizon when it seems reasonable? Or should we brake the high penalties a bit more?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! There are no plans whatsoever to slow down the pace of reform regarding getting more people who commit crimes convicted and receiving punishments that are in proportion to the severity of the crime. Let me be very clear about that.

It is however, as Member Nordborg expresses, important that those detained at our institutions can participate in treatment and studies, depending on which risks and needs are assessed for each detainee who has an individually designed execution plan. In all expansions and new constructions, specific planning is carried out to ensure local availability for just treatment activities. Everywhere where new construction is taking place, the treatment part is a central part. On the other hand, it is crowded at existing institutions, which causes problems in many places.

It is also important to train new program leaders who can conduct the accredited treatment programs. Training to become a program leader within the correctional services takes two to three years. It therefore takes time, and now that the correctional services are being rapidly expanded, there is a shortage of program leaders, which is a problem. On the other hand, we do not want to lower the quality of the programs and treatment. It is therefore difficult to make the equation work. However, it is obvious that more program leaders are needed and better access to treatment programs. But as mentioned, it takes time.

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Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! I understand how Ludvig Ceimertz thinks. To some extent, I can follow and share these thoughts, because we must prioritize treatment efforts much more than what is happening today.

I also belong to those who think that one should be convicted and have to take responsibility if one has committed a crime. But the question is how we achieve an effective choice of penalty. Is it always imprisonment that applies, or can we find alternatives? We in the Safety Preparation Board agreed on several proposals to limit the long prison sentences and handle the short ones in a slightly different way.

Can Ludvig Ceimertz see alternatives, for example that one could serve part of the prison sentence in freedom? Or can we consider other sanctions as a way out of this dilemma for the correctional services and society as a whole?

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Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! The final report of the Security Preparedness Commission has just been out for consultation, and the consultation responses are now being prepared within the Government Offices.

When it comes to serious violent crimes, serious sexual crimes and crimes committed in a gang criminal environment, I see no alternative to severity and long prison sentences. We are now reviewing the entire range of penalties in the large criminal law investigation that is to be reported in May.

For minor crimes and when it is deemed appropriate, one can already today serve a sentence through electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet. In such cases, this can be a good alternative. Already today, one can also serve part of a prison sentence with an ankle bracelet. This applies to those who participate in treatment programs and follow their execution plan and where the risk of misconduct is assessed as low.

Electronic surveillance is an effective method that could absolutely be used more, as we see that it works when it is used. However, it is based on this being used restrictively, where it is deemed appropriate and on individuals who show a willingness to change and are judged to have a low risk of misconduct.

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Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! On behalf of the Left Party, I would like, just as the Social Democrats did earlier, to dwell for a few moments on what happened in Örebro. It is very important that we try to grasp the scope of this and the enormous efforts that many made, both from their professions and entirely voluntarily. Students also made great efforts so that this would not have even worse consequences. But it is evident that the employees of the police, the judiciary, and welfare institutions made the most important and truly honorable efforts.

We, together with civil society, are immensely dependent on this. We need it, both when the act was committed and was completely fresh and overwhelming, and now. A very long endurance was needed in backing those who are close and even more those who are concretely affected.

So I would wish that a solidary society functions much more often, and I believe that this can be a turning point. That is my hope.

If we go back to what the debate is to be about now, namely a criminal justice system worthy of its name with an important crime-prevention activity that contributes to ensuring that recidivism does not increase and preferably is reduced significantly, we also achieve a safer society in that case. It must never be about pure incarceration or storage of people.

There are also different perspectives looking forward. Crime in our country is actually decreasing in large terms, but in terms of very serious crimes, it is increasing – "fewer but worse", as criminologists have expressed it. The correctional services must be strengthened to meet both the dangerous and violent clients who will need to be placed there and those who have committed less serious crimes.

The Swedish correctional system has been a model for decades, and people from other countries have realized that the rehabilitative activities in the form of treatment programs and the like have been more successful than pure punishment, which has also occurred.

With the Tidö parties' paradigm shift, we have a major crisis in the correctional system with large numbers of overcrowded, double-booked detention centers and prisons, partly because prison sentences have generally become longer. JO highlights the health risks in connection with this.

There is much else to say about the over-crowding, which counteracts sound rehabilitation and recidivism prevention activities. Conflicts arise very easily, as do flare-ups of violence. It is also a very stressful work environment for many very committed correctional officers, I want to assert.

With the vision "Bättre ut" (Better out), which the staff have crafted, many want to do everything they can to realize it. It is about relevant treatment interventions and investments in education, which is also a very tight sector within the correctional services, as well as investments to ensure that those who leave the institution have the opportunity for work.

The National Audit Office's conclusion is that the treatment activities are not, it is said, conducted in a fully efficient manner. It is a small proportion of the clients who receive treatment programs and an even smaller proportion who complete them. Of clients in prison in need of treatment – where treatment is considered meaningful; the sentence must be reasonably long for it to be worthwhile to initiate – it was 22 percent during 2023 who could complete the treatment. Within community care, it was 13 percent.

The figures are too low, and I believe we can interpret today's debate as us being in agreement that much more must be done to be able to justify treatments. But it must also be made likely and possible to be able to carry out treatments. It is about recruiting staff and training them in the program activities, and there must also be premises.

I do not think it has been thought through properly here, as some who work with these programs are forced to share offices with other employees. In such cases, they cannot even have conversations for treatment purposes at their own workplace and must book other premises that may already be occupied.

It is also possible to do much more with the program activities themselves. We have some that are purely Swedish, while others have been translated from the conditions of other countries, and they do not always fit as well here. There, I believe it is possible to do much more.

Something that absolutely must be done and which I think was one of the strong foundations in Trygghetsberedningen is to invest much more in the health reforms. There are proposals on how one can cooperate better with health and medical care to achieve LARO, Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction, which many of you may recognize, and likewise treatments for ADHD. One could invest more in digital environments, but that can again fall back on premises.

Vänsterpartiet argues that there is a great deal of good scientific evidence that interventions in community-based care make a greater difference, and the Swedish community-based care system is considered one of the world's most developed. Punishment within community-based care can be designed to be more content-rich, varied, and individually tailored. It can also facilitate transitions from prison to community-based care towards the end of a prison sentence. Investments in release, halfway houses, supervisors, assistant supervisors, and ankle bracelets already reduce the risks of recidivism in crime, which benefits both the individual and society.

I want to conclude with some figures, because as it stands, we are also spending enormous sums on the Prison and Probation Service, especially when it comes to prison management in the institutions.

A year served in an institution costs 1 million kronor. If we invest in community care, we can get down to 100,000 kronor and still have a very good treatment effort. I also think we can consider what it could mean to invest these sums in crime prevention activities with investments in a strong welfare system, school, and so on.

I hope that we can return to these important themes.

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Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Nordborg, for the contribution! I had some reflections during the speech, and I therefore have some questions and comments.

Member Nordborg was suggesting that with the Tidögänget in power, there are now double-occupancies, over-occupancies, and an immense pressure on the correctional services. That is true. When we tighten the sentences for serious crimes and give the police the tools they need to solve more crimes, so that instead of solving 30 percent of the shootings they solve 70 percent, it will lead to more convictions and more inmates in our institutions. I choose to see that as something positive and not negative, and I believe that, fundamentally, Member Nordborg agrees.

The second part concerns expanded release and community care. It can be very effective for a few who have an organized life. For those in our institutions who have a stable foundation to stand on, it can be very effective and good. But for very many, it is not. For very many, treatment programs are interrupted prematurely, and conditional release is mishandled as a result of not having that stability.

Mr. Speaker! Member Nordborg also requested some positive visions for the future. The Swedish National Audit Office points out 2023 as a year with rather poor results. I want to highlight the facility in Kristianstad where, during the previous year, 70 percent of the inmates underwent treatment programs. That is very positive, so there is hope.

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Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Ludvig Ceimertz, for your questions and your supplementary information, which is, of course, exciting to receive!

If I start with the serious crimes, I do not mean that we should let them pass. I also mean that the police should continue to work on arresting those who are now responsible for shootings or explosions, the truly serious situations.

But that must not obscure the fact that we have a multitude of other types of less serious crimes. In those cases, I still exclude violence against a person, sexual assault, rape, and such. There, one can successfully dare to try other forms of treatment and penalties that perhaps could be even more effective.

If we are lucky, one could do as the Riksrevisionen points out and combine all the possibilities for influence that one has. One can influence the client's health, drug addiction, fix things with education and give a hope for the future.

Then one could make it so that even those convicted of very serious crimes can be released a little early to try a life in freedom under supervision, perhaps with an ankle monitor. It becomes a good introduction into ordinary society. It is my hope for the future that we will take several such initiatives.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ludvig Ceimertz (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is pleasing that we share the view that it is good when those who commit serious crimes also receive a penalty. This applies despite the fact that it leads to a higher burden on the correctional services, despite the fact that it leads to double-occupancy, and despite the fact that it leads to the fact that we need to occupy visiting rooms.

Even if it is not an appropriate way to conduct criminal justice, it is also not appropriate that we let those who commit serious crimes continue to be out on our streets. We need a major expansion of the criminal justice system.

A major expansion of the correctional services is underway. We are expanding and building on over 50 sites in the country right now. In my hometown alone, the prison places are being expanded by over 700 places in the coming years. This is very positive considering the great needs that exist.

That more people not serving prison sentences in prison cannot in total be what is to solve the space shortage. The space shortage must be solved through an expansion. We will also continue to toughen the sentences where it is needed in order to provide redress for crime victims. We shall put crime victims in focus so that they have a central place in this.

Then the correctional sentence must take place in a good and effective way. There, treatment, studies, and that the inmates should fare better are in focus based on the risks and the needs that have been investigated for each individual inmate, where assessments must be made for each individual.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Gudrun Nordborg (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you for the new questions, comments, and clarifications!

I do not think we need all these prison places for just the serious crime. That must, of course, be dealt with. But then we can have different glasses and more solidary glasses.

There we can look into: What is it that has been lacking for this person that has led to a crime? We can perhaps handle that already within the probation services so that prison or long prison sentences are not always needed, regardless of what the crime is. I still want us to be able to look more openly at alternatives and that society would benefit from it.

I also think it is very important that one looks to the crime victims. I have worked for a very long time in my life with just those categories.

I can say that it is extremely rare that crime victims demand harsher sentences. What happens when one has recently been subjected to something is that one is terribly upset – one probably also has reason to be – and feelings of revenge come forward. That can be allowed to be lived out. But it is not certain that it should be carried out in the form of long sentences.

There are many crime victims who want that even those who have harmed them very badly should receive better treatment and that one can hope for constructive changes. I could tell many great stories about how victims and perpetrators have helped each other in such situations.

The South African Truth Commission made great achievements in that area. If someone has admitted to a crime, they can be welcomed back into society in very specific and generous forms.

There are many such cases where those who were victims of terrorist acts, as it was called then, during the ANC era and others performed great deeds together to improve the living conditions for people in South Africa.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 10.)

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