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Sweden is considering sending some of its inmates to serve their sentences in foreign prisons due to anticipated overcrowding in its own facilities, the government announced on Wednesday.
The country has faced rising violence in recent years, with shootings and bombings linked to rival criminal gangs. Many of these crimes are carried out by young teens under 15, who are recruited as contract killers because they fall below Sweden’s age of criminal responsibility.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer highlighted the strain on correctional facilities, stating, “One concrete consequence of this change is that more people will be incarcerated for longer periods, which will lead to increased pressure on the Swedish prison system.”
The government recently received a report assessing the feasibility of housing prisoners abroad. According to Mattias Wahlstedt, who led the investigation, Sweden should look to transfer inmates within the European Union or the Schengen area. While specific countries were not named, nations such as Norway, Belgium, and Denmark have already adopted similar measures.
Such agreements would require approval by parliament and negotiation with the countries involved. However, the proposal has met resistance from labor unions. The Seko trade union, which represents prison employees, opposes the initiative. “Public services should not be outsourced to other countries. This is a matter of legal requirements, but it is also about preventing state activities from being sold off and run under private management,” said Christer Hallkvist, a Seko representative.
Hallkvist argued that the solution lies in improving conditions for prison staff and expanding Sweden’s prison infrastructure rather than transferring inmates abroad.
Meanwhile, Sweden continues to grapple with escalating violence. Since the start of the year, the country has reported more than 30 bombings, adding to concerns about law enforcement’s ability to control gang-related crimes.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk
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