Short prison sentences nearly halved in Switzerland

FSO: sentences without parole almost halved in 2024 Keystone-SDA

The number of short custodial sentences without early release dropped by nearly half in 2024 compared with the previous year, while offences under the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act increased by 17%.

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The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) noted this in a statement on Tuesday.

The number of prison sentences lasting less than six months has almost halved in just a year – dropping from just under 6,000 in 2023 to just over 3,000 last year, a fall of 48%.

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That figure is even lower than in 2007, when the lowest number was recorded. A change in the law came into effect that year, aimed at cutting down on short-term prison terms.

The drop in custodial sentences has been offset by a rise in financial penalties – up by 1,600 without eligibility for early release, and by 1,400 with such conditions.

As in previous years, fines remained the most common form of punishment, making up 88% of all sentences. Prison terms accounted for 12% and in more than half of those cases (59%) the sentence was relatively short, lasting less than six months.

According to the FSO, the total number of convictions recorded in the criminal record stayed largely unchanged in 2024, with 111,148 entries – roughly the same as the previous year. However, the figures show varying trends depending on the type of offence.

Offences under the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act saw a sharp rise in 2024 (up 17%) with nearly 20,000 convictions recorded, according to the FSO. A total of 2,130 expulsions were issued over the same period.

Convictions under the Criminal Code dropped by 6% in 2024, while those under the Narcotics Act fell by 10%, down to around 3,700 cases, said the FSO. The data also show a 13% decline in violent crime and a 5% drop in property offences.

Translated from Italian with DeepL/sp

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