Prison population climbs

(c) Ostschweizer Strafvollzugskonkordat

The prison population has reached its highest level since records began, according to new figures released by the Federal Statistics Office.

At the end of January, more than 7,100 people were being held in Swiss prisons, with detention centres operating at 97 percent capacity nationwide.

Most inmates are serving sentences, while nearly a third are being held on remand or for security reasons.

Despite the record total, authorities note that, relative to the country’s growing population, the incarceration rate remains lower than it was ten years ago.

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