NCJ Number
64339
Date Published
1979
Length
81 pages
Annotation
OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF SWEDEN'S NATIONAL PRISON AND PROBATION ADMINISTRATION ARE PRESENTED FOR 1978.
Abstract
PREVIOUS TO THE STATISTICAL TABLES, THE REPORT PROVIDES BRIEF DISCUSSIONS OF REFORMS IN AND THE ORGANIZATON OF THE PRISON AND PROBATION SYSTEMS. THESE DISCUSSIONS DESCRIBE A FAR-REACHING REORGANIZATON OF THE SYSTEM THAT BEGAN IN 1974. REFORM PRINCIPLES INCLUDE HANDLING OFFENDERS WITHOUT DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY WHEN POSSIBLE, OR IF IMPOSSIBLE, KEEPING OFFENDERS IN CONTACT WITH SOCIETY. TO THIS END, OFFENDERS SERVING SENTENCES OF UP TO 1 YEAR (ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF ALL INMATES) ARE SENT TO SMALL INSTITUTIONS IN THEIR OWN LOCALITIES. LOCAL INSTITUTIONS ARE INTENDED TO HAVE OPEN, FELXIBLE ROUTINES. ALL INMATES ENGAGE IN FULL-TIME, PAID EMPLOYMENT (WHEN PHYSICALLY ABLE) IN OR OUTSIDE THE PRISON. PREPARATION FOR RELEASE BEGINS FAR IN ADVANCE OF THE ACTUAL RELEASE DATE. REGIONAL DIRECTORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION OF INSTITUTIONAL AND NONINSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT. IN ADDITION, EACH INSTITUTION AND PROBATION DISTRICT HAS A SUPERVISION BOARD WITH A JUDGE AS CHAIRPERSON. STATISTICS FOR 1978 SHOW THAT 10,547 PERSONS WERE SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT DURING THE YEAR; 68 PERCENT WERE NEWCOMERS WITH SENTENCES OF LESS THAN 4 MONTHS. DRUNKEN DRIVING WAS THE MOST COMMONLY COMMITTED OFFENSE. A TOTAL OF 63 PERSONS WERE ADMITTED TO YOUTH PRISONS, 31 FOR THE FIRST TIME. INTERNMENT, AN INDETERMINATE SANCTION FOR SERIOUS RECIDIVISTS, WAS USED WITH 174 PERSONS. FURTHERMORE, A TOTAL OF 41,974 FURLOUGHS WERE APPROVED DURING THE YEAR, AND 6 PERCENT OF THESE WERE ABUSED. PROBATION WAS THE SANCTION FOR 6,634 OFFENDERS; 3,004 WERE PUT UNDER SUPERVISION AS PAROLEES. THE RECIDIVISM RATE FOR FIRST OFFENDERS WAS 31 PERCENT; FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS, 49 PERCENT. THE MORE THAN 30 TABLES IN THE REPORT GIVE NUMBERS OF PAROLEES, PROBATIONERS, AND INMATES FOR THE YEAR; NUMBER OF FOREIGN CITIZENS ADMITTED TO SWEDISH PRISONS; TOTAL OF NONINSTITUTIONALIZED OFFENDERS; AND FIGURES ON PRISON-EMPLOYMENT-PROGRAM HOURLY EARNING, INCOME, AND EXPENDITURE AND PRODUCTION VALUE IN THE FISCAL YEAR. STAFFING TOTALS FOR THE PRISON AND PROBATION SYSTEM AND PRISON CAPACITIES AND AVERAGE POPULATIONS ARE GIVEN, AS ARE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON INMATES AND THEIR COMMITTING OFFENSES. AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SUMMARY IN PROVIDED.--IN SWEDISH.