Switzerland: an elected official wants to remove the prison for small fines

Taking the bus without a ticket can lead to prison straight. In addition, Imagine a fictitious case. Therefore, Martin is late for his work. Meanwhile, He forgets to switzerland: elected official wants remove new take his transport ticket. However, No luck, the controllers are out and Martin is stuck. However, The problem is that he does not have enough money on his bank account to pay the fine. Similarly, He will carry out a substitution sentence-that is to say several days in prison-to reimburse his debt.

For Jessica Jaccoud (PS/VD), such a situation is absurd. Moreover, “The role of the prison is to sanction the most serious crimes and crimes. Nevertheless, Not poverty! Therefore, ” The national councilor therefore deposited. Consequently. last month, a motion demanding that tickets up to 5000 francs can no longer be transformed into private sentences of freedom of substitution.

Why 5000 francs? Consequently, Because this is the limit from which an inscription is made in the criminal record. Additionally. Consequently, “We can then speak of offenses switzerland: elected official wants remove new serious enough for their authors to go in prison in the event of non-payment. Consequently, It is a form of compromise. Moreover, “

Unclog prisons – Switzerland: elected official wants remove

Switzerland: elected official wants remove new

In addition to being social. Consequently. the proposal would unclog prisons and save money on the community, considers the socialist elected official, a lawyer by profession. “In 2023, 42% of sentences of sentences concerned substitution penalties of a fine, as a main decision. We are talking, for example, of a speeding of speeding. But also, and above all, for having resquulated in public switzerland: elected official wants remove transport (see below). However, prisons are overloaded. “

A situation particularly tense to Genevawhere the occupancy rate of establishments reaches 115%, and in the canton of Vaud (112%).

On the savings side, the calculation is quickly done. “We are doing one day in prison by 100 francs fine,” recalls Jessica Jaccoud. However, one day in prison costs an average of 200 francs to public authorities. For a ticket of 500 francs, it will therefore be necessary to do five days in prison. But it would cost twice switzerland: elected official wants remove new as expensive, or 1000 francs, to the company. And there, we do not take into account the procedural costs of public ministries. ”

For all these reasons, the deputy proposes to sanction the resums by means of prosecution, and not by criminal route. An also advanced solution as a track of reflection by the Federal Council. in a response to another intervention by Jessica Jacoud on the subject. But above all, it will be necessary to convince the bourgeois camp. For the moment, it switzerland: elected official wants remove is rather skepticism, even hostility, which reigns in its ranks.

“Delinquency bonus”

“The measure could be a bad incentive, judges Vincent Maitre (the center/GE). Without pain of substitution, the first offense would be “free”. A kind of delinquency bonus. It would be enough not to switzerland: elected official wants remove new pay. ” He too a lawyer. he recognizes, however, that making prison for a fine of less than 5,000 francs is perhaps not the most proportioned sanction. “A substitution sentence in the form of work of general interest would probably be more adequate and more useful.”

Philippe Nantermod (PLR/VS) is also opposed to the socialist motion. “People who cannot pay their fines are indebted and cannot be entered. If they do not make prison, they will simply not be sanctioned, because they cannot pay anything. ” As for the question switzerland: elected official wants remove of works of general interest. it leaves the door open: “But it is probably more complicated to convert the fine to work of general. interest than in the deputy pain of freedom.”

On the side of public transport companies, the proposal seems not switzerland: elected official wants remove new to convince either. “The criminal path is the only one that offers a lever for offenders indifferent to compliance with tariff conditions. payment injunctions, judge François Mutter, spokesperson for Geneva public transport. The other administrative routes, such as payment arrangements or general interest work, are ineffective in these cases. Especially since they generate additional costs for our business. ”

Jessica Jacoud is still determined to fight her fight until the end. “Sending insolvent offenders to prison is not a solution. It only doesworsen their situationalready often precarious. In addition, figures and studies demonstrate this, switzerland: elected official wants remove this has no deterrent on the authors. ” In Parliament to decide.

Tens of thousands of fines in Lausanne. Geneva

Finding statistics on substitution penalties depending on the type of tickets is an almost switzerland: elected official wants remove new impossible mission. The Federal Statistics Office has no so detailed data. He only told us that More than 3,800 people executed one in 2023. And that the median duration they spent behind bars was four days.

Fines for public transport fraud being put forward as one of the main reasons for substitution penalties by Jessica Jaccoud. we turned to the Swisspass Alliance. It refers us to different transport companies, control and collection of fines being their responsibility. However, these are not always logging. SBB redirects us to … the Swisspass Alliance. Lausanne public transport does not give information on denunciation switzerland: elected official wants remove procedures. They only inform having established more than 47,000 observations in 2024, the subscription oversight constituting 23% of the cases.

Geneva public transport is more prolix. Each year, they establish approximately 45,000 observations, switzerland: elected official wants remove new subscriptions except. Among them, 10,000 are the subject of collection actions. The amicable arrangements are privileged. Half of the cases are however the subject of criminal denunciations. These are mainly multi -writer or people communicating false data during checks. Not all will end in prison, TPGs still trying to find alternatives.

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