Blocher explores Austrian prison project

Blocher will be discussing a joint prison project with Austria Keystone

Justice Minister Christoph Blocher has been examining whether Switzerland could participate in Austria's plans to build a prison in Romania.

During talks with his Austrian counterpart, Blocher discussed the issue of repatriating foreign inmates in Swiss custody.

According to the Swiss justice ministry, an agreement to send Romanian prisoners home to finish their sentences in an Austrian-funded prison has already been signed by Vienna and Bucharest. It is due to come into force shortly.

“Austria and Romania are still negotiating the terms and conditions of how the prison should be built in Romania,” Folco Galli, spokesman for the Swiss justice ministry, told swissinfo.

“Switzerland is interested in the project and has obtained some information about it. However, it’s still in its infancy.”

Cheaper

Austria argues that the project would reduce the cost of incarcerating foreign prisoners significantly – the number of Romanian inmates in Austrian jails has nearly tripled since 2001.

“There are currently 144 Romanian prisoners in Austria and if we consider that each prisoner costs the government around €100 (SFr155) per day, the costs of building a prison there will soon be amortised,” Dieter Böhmdorfer, Austria’s justice minister, told swissinfo.

Vienna said that collaboration between the two countries would also extend to transporting prisoners.

“Romania is currently applying for EU membership for 2007, and the country is keen to demonstrate that it can handle offenders in an ‘EU-way’ – and this is to our advantage,” added Böhmdorfer.

According to the Federal Statistics Office, 28 Romanian nationals were locked up in Swiss prisons in 2003 – up from 25 in 2002.

“Only those prisoners whose sentence is longer than six months would be sent to Romania,” spokesman Daniel Laubscher told swissinfo.

Other measures

The justice ministry believes the project would be justified on cost grounds despite the small number of Romanian prisoners.

“We will analyse this project more closely as it could be a way for us to reduce costs in the penal process,” Galli told swissinfo.

“But there are other measures to cut costs. We are also considering sending foreign inmates to their home countries to serve their sentences there.”

The Swiss parliament, in line with 32 other countries, signed the Council of Europe’s additional protocol to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons at the end of last year.

Until now, Switzerland has sent home only those detainees who agreed to the move. Under the new protocol, due to come into effect later this year, the government will be able to forcibly repatriate foreign nationals.

swissinfo, Billi Bierling

In brief

Austria and Romania have signed an agreement to repatriate Romanian prisoners, which will come into effect later this year.

The Swiss parliament signed the Council of Europe’s additional protocol to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons at the end of last year.

The Swiss justice minister, Christoph Blocher, and his Austrian counterpart, Dieter Böhmdorfer, are due to discuss a possible cooperation in the project.