Facts about

The Prison andProbation Service

2003

FACTSaboutthe Prison and ProbationService in Sweden

Sources: Official Prison and Probation Statistics, othermaterial from the Prison and Probation Administration

Additional copies can be ordered fromThe Prison and Probation Administration, Information,S-601 80 Norrköping, SwedenOrder number: 5000. Fax +46 11 496 35 17www.kvv.sePrinted August 2003

This brochure was produced by the Prison andProbation Administration, Information, in cooperationwith Kommunikator, Norrköping.

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ContentsPrison and Probation Service................4

Sanctions ..............................................5-8Imprisonment ..................................................5Close supervision with electronic monitoring ....................................................5-6

Conditional sentence ..................................6-7Conditional sentence with community service .....................................................6-7

Probation ......................................................7-8Probation with community service...........7-8Probation with special treatment plan – Contract treatment ...................................8

Operational activities.........................9-16

Remand prison................................................9

Transport service.......................................9-10

Prison........................................................10-14Programmes..............................................11The clients ...........................................12-13Young offenders........................................13Closed institutional youth care..................13Work release system ................................14Leaves ......................................................14Absconders...............................................14Early release under close supervision with electronic monitoring .........................14

Non institutional care..............................15-16The clients ................................................16Supervision ...............................................16Probation officers – lay supervisor ...........16Pre-sentence reports ................................16

Organization of the Prison and Probation Service....................................................17

Personnel ...............................................18

Costs .................................................18-193

Prison and ProbationServiceThe treatment of offenders is a component of thenational judicial system. The objective of criminal poli-cy is to reduce criminality and enhance safety andsecurity in society at large. The main tasks of the Prisonand Probation Service are to implement the sanctionsof prison and probation, to supervise conditionallyreleased persons, to implement instructions for commu-nity service, and to carry out pre-sentence investiga-tions in criminal cases.

The Prison and Probation Service are also responsiblefor the activities of remand prisons. The Service alsomanages our own transports and also arranges for thetransportation of other individuals who have beendetained, including those who have been refused entryinto Sweden or those who are to be deported.

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Conditional sen-tence with commu-nity service

Community servicewithout supervi-sion

Probation Convicted personplaced undersupervision

Non institutionalcare

Probation withcommunity service

Probation withspecial treatmentplan

Prison

Community servicewith supervision

Contract treatment

Close supervisionwith electronicmonitoring

Convicted personsent to prison

Prison

Sanctions imple-mented by thePrison andProbation Service

Prison and ProbationService

Remand prison

Police

Court

Prosecutor

SanctionsThe sanctions envisaged in the Penal Code are: fines,imprisonment, conditional sentence, probation, andcommittal for special care.

Sanctions implemented by the Prison andProbation Service

ImprisonmentWith certain exceptions, imprisonment for a determi-nate period may not exceed ten years and may not beless than 14 days. As a collective sanction for severalcrimes, the upper time limit may be exceeded by up tofour years. In certain cases of severe recidivism, a spe-cial provision on increase in the severity of sanctionsallows for prison sentences of up to 18 years. An indi-vidual serving a prison sentence of a fixed period shallbe unconditionally released after serving two-thirds ofhis or her sentence. An inmate may not be released onparole, however, until he or she has served at leastone month of the total sentence. Similarly, an inmatemay not be released on parole if the sanction imposedis probation and imprisonment, or imprisonment as asubstitute for a non-collectible fine.

A person sentenced to life imprisonment may not bereleased on parole unless the government (by pardon)converts the sentence to imprisonment for a fixed period.

Close supervision with electronic monitoringClose supervision with electronic monitoring is a meansof serving a prison sentence and has been used asform of implementation of sentence since 1993. Personssentenced to prison for no more than three monthsmay apply for close supervision with electronic moni-toring. Supervision decisions are made by the localPrison and Probation Authority following an investiga-tion by the probation service. The convicted personwears a transmitter – an electronic bracelet – round hisor her ankle which transmits radio signals to a comput-er programmed to recognise the schedule drawn up forthat particular individual.

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If the convicted person fails to adhere to his or herschedule, an alarm is sent to the probation service,which is on call twenty-four hours a day. During theperiod of the sentence, the convicted person is prohib-ited from using drugs or alcohol and, to check that heor she is complying with the regulations, is expected totake a breathalyser test and/or provide a urine samplein conjunction with visits by the probation service tohis or her home.

Such visits take place regularly, albeit at irregular inter-vals. The convicted individual is also expected to takepart in a probation programme, in which issues relatingto criminality, substance abuse, etc., are taken up fordiscussion. The daily cost of a client under close super-vision is 939 SEK.

Conditional sentenceConditional sentence with community serviceConditional sentences are intended primarily for impo-sition on persons who have committed an offence of anon-recurrent nature and there is no reason to assumethat the individual will commit further offences in thefuture. In practice, a conditional sentence entails aremission of sanction on condition that the individualrefrains from committing further crimes for a probation-ary period of two years. Persons who have received aconditional sentence are not placed under supervision.Conditional sentences may be associated with an orderto perform some kind of community service, providedthat the accused agrees.

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Number discontinued: 216

Number begun: 2 103

Number of applications: 3 013

Number offered: 4 517

Number of clients who were offered, sought, begun and discontinued close supervision in 2002

The court decides on the number of hours of service tobe performed – no less than 40 and not exceeding 240– and ensures that the total period is appropriatelyrelated to the severity of the crime. Checks on perform-ance of community services are carried out by the pro-bation service.

ProbationLike conditional sentences, probation is a sanction thatdoes not involve deprivation of liberty, although it ismore far-reaching. Probation is regarded as a form oftreatment and, as such, is an alternative to treatment inan institution. The period of probation is three years,during which time the party convicted is placed undersupervision right from the start of the probationaryperiod.

As a rule, the period of supervision is discontinued onthe expiry of the first year of the probationary period.In the event of misconduct, the probationary periodmay be extended, and, under certain circumstances,may be combined with up to 200 day-fines. Courts arealso empowered to combine probation with a shortterm of imprisonment, which may last for a minimumof 14 days to a maximum of three months. The dailycost of a client on probation is 107 SEK.

Probation with community serviceProbation associated with an order to perform somekind of community service has been used as a form oftreatment since 1993. The court decides on the numberof hours of service to be performed – no less than 40and not exceeding 240 – and ensures that the totalperiod is appropriately related to the severity of thecrime. A fictitious prison sentence is stipulated in thesentence, which the client will risk having to serve ifhe or she neglects to perform the service satisfactorily.The client is placed under supervision. The daily costof a client ordered to perform community services is103 SEK.

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Probation with special treatment plan – ContracttreatmentA prerequisite of a sentence to contract treatment isthat some form of abuse or other special circumstancenecessitating care or treatment may be assumed to havematerially contributed to the offender’s criminality.Contract treatment is a manifest alternative to imprison-ment in cases in which the severity of the offence mayoccasion prison sentences of up to about two years.Misconduct by the client is regarded as serious neglectand the sentence may instead be converted to impris-onment. The client’s consent is required for contracttreatment. The suitability of this approach is consideredby the probation service in conjunction with the pre-sentence report into the individual’s social circum-stances. The daily cost of a client undergoing contracttreatment is 330 SEK.

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Other offences: 19 %

Drug offence: 10 %

Drunken driving: 26 %

Property crime: 15 %

Violent crime: 30 %

Principal offence: community service order

Other offences: 198

Drug offence/smuggling: 134

Driving under the influence, drunken driving: 461

Property crime: 218

Violent crime: 200

Principal offence: Number of sentences entailing contract treatment, by principal offence

Operational activities

Remand prisonRemand prisons accommodate criminal suspects arrest-ed, held or detained on remand, and other categoriesof individuals taken into custody under the terms ofacts such as the Aliens’ Act, the Care of Young Persons(Special Provisions) Act (LVU), the Care of Alcoholicsand Drugs Abusers Act (LVM), and the ForensicPsychiatric Care Act (LVR). The turnover rate of individ-uals in remand prison is higher than in the institutions.Persons detained on remand are held for an averageperiod of between one and two months. The averageperiod for other categories of remand prison inmates isconsiderably shorter.On 1st January, 2002, there were 28 remand prisonswith accommodation for 1 681 persons.

Transport serviceThe transport service play an important role in theoverall activities of the Prison and Probation Service.The transport authority employs 230 people and con-ducts its operations from Gothenburg. During 2002, justover 36 600 clients were transported within Swedenand 2 932 to places abroad. During 2002 two personsabsconded directly from a domestic transport.

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0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800Places

02010099989796959493

Average number of available places and average occupancy during 1993-2002

Occupancy

The Transport Service is organized as follows:All planning is handled by the head office in

Gothenburg. Twelve people are occupied with directplanning, which is divided into five domestic areas andtwo international areas.

Practical transport is handled by transport staff, whoare stationed at 24 local offices all over the country,from Malmö in the south to Luleå in the north.

The Transport Service organises domestic transportsbetween the various local prison and probation servic-es, transports between police authorities falling withinthe province of the Prison and Probation Service, inter-national transports for the Prison and Probation Service,and transports falling within the domain of theMigration Board that are ordered by the police.

PrisonOn 1st January, 2002, there were 54 institutions inSweden with a total of 4 346 places. Institutions may be either open or closed.Treatment in prison is governed by the PrisonTreatment Act. The chief objective of treatment in aprison is to promote the inmate’s potential for adapta-tion to society upon release while attempting to counterthe harmful effects of the period of imprisonment.

The vision of the Prison and probation Service is ”bet-ter out”, that is to say persons leaving prison shouldbe better equipped to lead a law-abiding life thanwhen they were imprisoned.

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Others: 33 %

Abroad: 7 %

Remand prison - institution: 60 %

Transport services

To achieve this goal, institutional work aims at offeringthe client special PROGRAMMES for the developmentof personal skills, knowledge and attitude in a positivemanner that may be expected to discourage a relapseinto crime.

ProgrammesProgrammes are here taken as meaning all structuredactivities meeting pre-defined quality standards andaiming at providing the client with knowledge, skillsand a changed mode of behaviour. By taking part inwork, education, and crime and abuse-related pro-grammes during both working hours and structuredrecreational activities, inmates have opportunities forsatisfying individual needs and enjoy access toresources promoting their chances of successful release.Compensation is payable for participation in a pro-gramme. The average rate of compensation is 9.90 SEKper hour.

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0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000Nominal places

Available places

02010099989796959493

Average occupancy

Development of occupancy: Average nominal and available places and average institutional occupancy

Time not employed: 23 %

Other structured activities: 15 %

Crime and abuse-related prog.: 5 %

Client education: 12 %

Work: 45 %

Occupation of inmates: Hours of occupation in 2002

The clientsIn 2002, 10 173 persons were admitted to institutions.Of these 7 % were women, and none were under theage of 18. Prison sentences vary between two weeksand life.

Of all offences, property crimes, at 21 %, made up thelargest group. This was followed by violent crime 18 %,drug offences/smuggling 14 %, driving under the influ-ence and drunken driving 10 %. 62 % had some previ-ous experience of prison. On any given day, over4 100 people are in institutional care. 109 persons aresentenced to life imprisonment. The largest group isaged between 35 and 44. Over 26 % of the inmates arenon-Swedish citizens. Of these, 22 % have also beensentenced to deportation.

In terms of knowledge there are wide differencesamong the inmates, varying from illiterates to thosewho have received an academic education.

Alongside clients with no history of drug abuse, thereare abusers both of alcohol and drugs. A few of those classified as drug abusers were 20 oryounger, while just under two-thirds were 30 or older.

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0 %

5 %

10 %

15 %

20 %

25 %

30 %

Committed to an institution

Admitted to an institution

Other offences

Drug offence/smuggling

Drunk driving, also aggravated

Economic crime

Robbery, also aggravated robbery

Property crime

Violent crime

Persons sentenced to prison and admitted to an institution and committed to an institution, by principal offence, 2002

Young offendersThe age of criminal responsibility in Sweden is 15,which means that people under 15 cannot be punishedfor offences they may commit. Furthermore, youngpeople between 15 and 17 are rarely given sentencesthat will lead to an encounter with the Prison andProbation Service. During 2002, 133 young offenderswere sentenced to probation; none were committed toprison. Offenders who had committed a crime thatwould previously have led to prison were instead sen-tenced to closed institutional youth care.

Closed institutional youth careThe sanctions system for juvenile offenders agedbetween 15 and 17 was changed on 1st January, 1999.Instead of prison, offenders are now primarily sen-tenced to closed institutional youth care.

Closed institutional youth care is a fixed-term penaltybased on the severity of the offence. The shortest termis fourteen days, the longest four years, and there is nopossibility of parole.

Closed institutional youth care does not fall within thearea of responsibility of the Prison and ProbationService. Instead, the overall responsibility for such carelies with the municipal social welfare services, whilethe National Board of Institutional Care is responsiblefor providing approved homes for the offenders.

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Term of over 2 months

Term of less than 2 months0 %

10 %

20 %

30 %

40 %

50 %

60 %

70 %

80 %

20022001200019991998

Drug abusers: newly admitted clients with a history of drug abuse

Work release systemUnder the work release system, an inmate of prisonmay be permitted, during working hours, to work orpursue an educational or training course, or to takepart in some other form of organized activities outsidethe prison. In 2002 465 people began taking part in thisscheme.

LeavesThe number of leaves granted in 2001 sank consider-ably, partly as a result of modified directives aimed atreducing the number of visits to places outside theprison. During 2002 the number of furloughs increasedslighly, when 33 655 clients was given leaves. Of these,0.5 % were abused through absence (the individual didnot return to the institution).

AbscondersOnly 179 persons absconded directly from an institu-tion in 2002. Most of these (135 individuals) abscondedfrom open institutions.

Early release under close supervision with electronic monitoringSince October, 2001, those serving a prison sentence ofno less than two years have been able to serve thefinal four months before conditional release in theirown homes, where they are kept under close supervi-sion with electronic monitoring. This system isdesigned to ensure a planned transition from the prisonto a life in freedom with extensive support and super-vision by the Prison and probation Service. All visitsoutside the home must be planned in advance with theprobation authorities, who are responsible for imple-menting the transition. During the transitional period,alcohol and drugs are strictly forbidden and regularchecks are carried out to ensure that the individual isrefraining from their use.

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Non institutional careThe basic approach of Swedish criminal policy is thatsanctions involving deprivation of liberty should beavoided wherever possible, since such sanctions do notas a rule improve the individual’s chances of re-adapt-ing to a life in freedom. Furthermore, non-institutionalcare is both a more humane and cheaper form of carethan care in prison. Non-institutional care is organizedby 42 probation offices, whose main concern is thesupervision of: conditionally released persons, personson probation, including those on contract treatment/community service, and close supervision with elec-tronic monitoring. Other areas of responsibility includepre-sentence reports and implementation of conditionalsentences with community service.

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0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000Under close supervision

Conditionally released

Probationers

20022001200019991998

Client influxNumber of clients

The clientsIn 2002, the number of clients under supervisionamounted to about 12 000. The median age was 34. Ofthe total number of clients, 12 % were women.

SupervisionTo discourage persons on probation from committingfurther crimes, they are kept under supervision.Probationers are subject to a probationary period ofthree years and are normally kept under supervisionfor one year. Conditional release almost always entailsa probationary period of one year.

Probation officers – lay supervisorHere, the principle is to appoint a personal supervisorfor every client – often a lay supervisor who under-takes supervision on a voluntary basis and in compen-sation is paid a monthly sum of 400 SEK. On 1stJanuary, 2003, there were 4 783 lay supervisors inSweden. Probation officers are appointed by the proba-tion service to take charge of the most complicated andmost demanding cases.

Pre-sentence reportsIn criminal cases in which an investigation into the sus-pect’s personal circumstances must be made before theissue of sanctions can be decided, the court is expectedto ask the probation service for a statement. In 2002,just over 25 000 pre-sentence reports were made.

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Other offences: 26 %

Drug offence/smuggling: 14 %

Driving under the influence, drunken driving: 13 %

Property crime: 26 %

Violent crime: 20 %

Number of clients who began supervision in 2002, by principal offence and type

Organization of the Prisonand Probation ServiceThe Prison and Probation Administration is the centraladministrative authority of the Prison and ProbationService. The Prison and Probation Administration isorganized into a head office and five regional offices.The Prison and Probation Administration is also thehead authority for the local prison and probationauthorities and for the Transport Service. The localPrison and Probation Authorities comprises remandprisons, prisons and probation offices. In administrativeterms, the Prison and Probation Administration is alsothe controlling authority of the National Parole Boardand the 30 Probation Enforcement Boards.

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The GovernmentMinistry of Justice

Prison and Probation ServicePrison and Probation Administration (KVS)

Head office and five regional offices

36 local Prison and Probation Authorities (KVM)and Transport Service (TPT)

KVM SundsvallKVM GävleKVM HärnösandKVM LuleåKVM UmeåKVM KarlstadKVM MariestadKVM VänersborgKVM JönköpingKVM BoråsKVM Gothenburg/City CentreKVM Gothenburg-

Hissingen/suburbsKVM HalmstadKVM UppsalaKVM VästeråsKVM Stockholm/KronobergKVM HallKVM Norrtälje

KVM Stockholm/City CentreKVM Stockholm northKVM Stockholm southKVM KumlaKVM ÖrebroKVM EskilstunaKVM LinköpingKVM NorrköpingKVM NyköpingKVM VisbyKVM KalmarKVM KarlskronaKVM KristianstadKVM HelsingborgKVM Malmö southKVM Malmö northKVM Malmö KrisebergKVM YstadTPT GTBG.

National Parole Board

Probation Enforcement Board (30)