Prison population climbs

Tuesday, 30 April 2024 06:30

The prison population is approaching record levels.

At the beginning of the year, there were 6,881 people behind bars. The highest level in 10 years.

The figures from the Federal Statistics Office say 30% of prisoners are in pre-trial detention.

The main rises have come from the German speaking regions – but still the prison occupancy rate runs at around 90% - so there’s space for more.

But in the French and Italian speaking regions, overcrowding is a serious problem with the occupancy a rate running at 102%.

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