Response to interpellation 2023/24:756 on the Prison and Probation Service
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerned the situation of the Prison and Probation Service, the occupancy rate, and future expansion. M argues that the high occupancy rate is due to previous governments' expansion of the operations starting too late 1. M considers it not relevant to privatize the Prison and Probation Service 1. M advocates for financial reinforcements, where almost 1.4 billion kronor have been proposed for the current year 1. M wants to expand the capacity over the next ten years and introduce youth prisons 1. M emphasizes that high security is a priority and a fundamental agreement in the expansion plan 1. M also wants to develop the recidivism prevention work by analyzing society's work with convicted persons 1.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Justitieministern Gunnar Strömmer (M)
Madam President! Ardalan Shekarabi has asked me if I am prepared to rule out all plans for the privatization of the Prison and Probation Service. Furthermore, Ardalan Shekarabi has asked what my plan is for the Prison and Probation Service to fulfill its mission with maintained security, high quality, and recidivism prevention work.
The Prison and Probation Service is in a strained situation. The high occupancy rate in institutions and detention centers is primarily due to the fact that the expansion of the authority's activities began far too late. Decisions and priorities by previous governments have not been sufficient. The Government and the Prison and Probation Service are working intensively and purposefully to both address the strained occupancy situation here and now and create good conditions for continued expansion in the longer term with good security and effective recidivism prevention measures. In that work, there is also a significant openness to testing new paths. For example, the Government has commissioned an inquiry looking at the possibilities of renting out prison places abroad. However, it is not an option to privatize the Prison and Probation Service.
The number of remand and prison places now need to increase at a rapid pace. Solving the acute occupancy situation is absolutely necessary. Significant economic reinforcements have already been made. In order for the Prison and Probation Service to be given the conditions to continue strengthening its capacity, the government has proposed that almost 1.4 billion kronor be added to the agency already this year.
At the same time, the Prison and Probation Service, on the government's assignment, has produced a capacity report for a comprehensive expansion over the next ten years due to the reforms in the Tidö Agreement. The Prison and Probation Service's capacity report for the upcoming expansion was presented at the end of last year. It is now being prepared in the Government Offices, and the government intends to return to the issue.
In that context, I also want to mention the reorganization of the sentencing system for young people under 18 and the introduction of youth prisons. This is a necessary and desirable reform where the Prison and Probation Service receives a new society-critical mandate.
At the same time as the number of places is to increase, the content of the Prison and Probation Service's activities must also be developed and streamlined. There is no doubt that the expansion facing the agency involves challenges and will demand new priorities and methods of work. But the direction is unambiguous: Even in the future, effective recidivism prevention work shall be conducted in both prison and community service.
In this context, I also want to mention that the so-called Trygghetsberedningen in April 2023 received a new assignment which means that the investigation shall analyze society's recidivism prevention work regarding those convicted who have served a sentence in an institution or in community service. The committee shall also submit proposals on how the recidivism prevention work can be developed. By reducing recidivism in crime, we can achieve a safer society and fewer crime victims.
I will finally say a few words about security. It is a top priority for the government and the Prison and Probation Service that the operations in the country's prisons and detention centers can be conducted with high security for employees and for those detained. The agency works systematically with these issues, and high security is also a fundamental agreement in the expansion plan that is now being prepared in the Government Offices.
The presiding Speaker of the House noted that the interpellor was not present in the chamber and declared the interpellation debate closed.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.