As of January 2020, a total of 4,807 foreign nationals were imprisoned in Switzerland, from a total inmate number of 6,906, the Federal Statistical Office reportedExternal link on Monday. Some 267 of these non-Swiss prisoners were facing deportation to their country of origin.
The number of foreign prisoners is down 4% on last year, Marcelo Aebi, a criminologist at the University of Lausanne, told the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Overall, a decrease of 1% in total prisoner numbers was recorded since January 2019. Aebi said movements within a range of plus or minus 5% represent “stability”.
He predicted that the very slight downward trend could continue as a result of Covid-19-enforced border closures, which will likely hamper the operations of cross-border criminal gangs.
Swiss prisons have a total of 7,390 places, which means they are operating at 93.5% capacity. However, according to another criminologist, André Kuhn of the University of Neuchâtel, the situation differs across the country: in French-speaking Switzerland prisons are over-populated and are thus also less inclined to put someone in provisional detention than a prison in, say, Basel.
As for the effects of the coronavirus, although imprisonments have decreased, paroles have also gone down. Hearings and committees have been affected by health and safety measures, Kuhn said, and fewer prisoners are being allowed out on conditional release.
Of the 6,906 total prisoners, 401 (5.8%) were women.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign Affairs
How a top Swiss university is screening Chinese students
Two decades after tsunami, Swiss tourists flock to Southeast Asia
This content was published on
Twenty years after a catastrophic tsunami in Southeast Asia, the region is again a top destination for Swiss, including at Christmas.
Swiss forests better equipped for storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years after Hurricane Lothar wreaked havoc in Switzerland, the country’s forests are now better prepared, experts say.
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland’s leniency on criminals, explained
This content was published on
When compared with many other countries, Switzerland tends to hand down shorter sentences, particularly for violent crime.
This content was published on
Photographer Patrick Gilliéron Lopreno visited prisons in French-speaking Switzerland, where he spent two years researching for an exhibition.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.