A study conducted by researchers at Geneva’s University Hospital has found that nearly 60 per cent of inmates at Switzerland’s most overcrowded jail suffer from medical problems.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The findings, which have been published in the BMC Public Health Journal, also revealed that one in every three at Geneva’s Champ-Dollon prison had a psychological problem.
The researchers based the findings on documentation related to more than 2,000 inmates who were in investigative custody at the jail in 2007.
More than 40 per cent suffered from symptoms that could not be clearly diagnosed, such as sleeplessness, back pain and anxiety. The study also found that two-thirds were smokers, 40 per cent took illegal drugs and one third consumed alcohol in excessive quantities.
Infectious diseases were diagnosed in 23 per cent of the cases, and a further 30 per cent had other medical issues including problems with their skin and joints, and difficulties breathing and with their digestion.
Nearly a third had injuries with many saying they had suffered them during their arrest.
The prevalence of tuberculosis and Hepatitis C or the percentage of heroin addicts was up to ten times higher in the jail than in the general Swiss population.
The authors added that 93 per cent of the inmates surveyed were foreigners.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
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
Small jails struggle with overcrowding
This content was published on
A visit to Bern’s regional prison, not far from the city centre, highlights the problems faced by the smaller establishments as they struggle to meet the many demands they face. Inside the jail, which opened in 1974, there’s plenty of coming and going during the day: people visiting prisoners, men in handcuffs being transferred, and…
This content was published on
The number of inmates in Swiss prisons grew by five per cent last year to 6,084 – the second-highest level in a decade. This rise is particularly evident in French and Italian-speaking regions. The overall growth has caused mixed reactions among observers. “It’s a startling increase,” said Daniel Laubscher from the Federal Statistics Office, which…
This content was published on
The new facility would hold a maximum of 500 detainees and could open in 2015 near Champ-Dollon, Switzerland’s most overcrowded prison, which was built for 270 detainees in 1977 and currently holds over 500. “Overcrowding at Champ-Dollon poses problems in terms of detention conditions and work for the prison guards, not forgetting internal security problems,”…
This content was published on
The photographer Peter Schulthess spent a year visiting 28 jails across the country for his book “Behind bars – prisons and detention centres in Switzerland” (2006).
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.