The government and the Sweden Democrats agree to proceed with the proposal from the Tidö Agreement to rent prison places abroad. The background is that Swedish prisons are full and that the parties in the government document expect that the need for prison places will continue to increase in the coming years, according to Sweden Posts.
Therefore, the government is now appointing an inquiry to review the possibility of renting out prisons in other countries. The investigator must particularly examine what opportunities exist in Sweden’s immediate area.
– It gives a picture of what it is about – the Nordics or the rest of Europe, says Gunnar Strömmer.
The investigator must also look at which categories of prisoners may be covered by the proposal.
– Short-term convicts may not be subject to this because it leads to practical problems. Long-term convicts are a more suitable object to move abroad. You can also imagine those who will be deported after their sentences, says Adam Marttinen (SD).
A further assignment will be to investigate how the inmates’ rights and obligations can be ensured if they are placed in a prison abroad. Some issues are which country’s laws should apply if something happens, for example an accident or a new crime, and what standard should be required of the prisons.
The investigator must also review what it will cost to rent prison places. For a period, Norway rented prison places in the Netherlands and this led to a debate that it was too expensive. Norway has ended the agreement with the Netherlands a few years ago.
The proposal is part of the Tidö Agreement between the governing parties and the Sweden Democrats. The investigative assignment must be presented no later than December 16 next year.
– Our common ambition is that this can be realized during this mandate period, says Gunnar Strömmer.
On Thursday, investigator Karin Erlingsson from the Swedish Customs Administration also presented the government’s investigation into visitation zones, or “security zones” as she herself describes it.
According to the investigation, the police should be given the opportunity to establish the zones when there is a clear risk of shootings or explosions in an area, linked to gang conflicts. As a rule, the zones must apply for two weeks with the possibility of an extension.
In addition to body searches, the zones will also mean that vehicles may be searched. Children must also be searched, according to the investigator. There will be no limit to the size of the zones.
Karin Erlingsson says that the measure will help in the fight against gang violence, but also that it means an increased risk of intrusion into the privacy of individuals and of discrimination.
