The past year confirmed that the Czech Republic has one of the highest incarceration rates per capita in Europe. Currently, there are 19,429 prisoners, which means about 210 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. The EU average is 114 prisoners per 100,000.
A potential solution to this issue could be an amendment to the Criminal Code, which promotes community service as an alternative to imprisonment. However, this amendment is still awaiting its first reading in the lower house of parliament, and it is uncertain whether lawmakers will pass it before the parliamentary elections in September-October.
Experience from other countries shows that laws encouraging alternative punishments and reducing criminalization could lead to a reduction in the number of prisoners, according to the spokesperson for the Prison Service, Markéta Mahová Prunerová.
“It’s impossible to predict the exact outcome of these legislative changes, but certainly, more effective ways to apply alternative punishments, such as community service, house arrest, probation, or electronic monitoring, will be a positive step for the Prison Service,” said the spokesperson.
One of the main goals of the new Criminal Code is to alleviate the strain on prisons. According to recent data, Czech prisons are operating at 97% capacity.
“We, along with Slovakia, have the highest number of prisoners in the entire European Union. Our punishment system is outdated and deviates from the rest of the EU, where alternative punishments have long been favored,” said Justice Minister Pavel Blažek (ODS) in October when the amendment was approved by the government but has yet to be reviewed by the lower house.
“There is still a problem in public perception. Many citizens believe that if someone is not sentenced to prison, it’s not a punishment,” the minister stated.
A representative of the penitentiary service confirmed that the Czech Republic currently has one of the highest incarceration rates per capita on the continent. “In Europe, we rank sixth after Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Georgia, and Lithuania,” said Mahová Prunerová.
In Cyprus, for example, there are 52 prisoners per 100,000 citizens, which is four times fewer than in the Czech Republic, and in Denmark, there are 63.
Over the past two years, the number of prisoners in the Czech Republic has stabilized at nearly 20,000 and has not increased significantly. The high number is also problematic because the prison service is struggling to hire sufficient personnel.
