ÖVP Says “Stop!”

These prisoners are to be released early

The Minister of Justice must relieve the strain on prisons in Austria—to this end, inmates are to be released early.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

New source of tension in the coalition: Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (SPÖ) wants to release up to 500 prisoners early from prison through a one-time amnesty. While the SPÖ is counting on this to relieve overcrowding in prisons, the ÖVP is taking offense. It criticizes the lack of coordination within the government and warns of a security risk to the public.

Apparently without consulting her coalition partner, Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (SPÖ) announced the early release of 500 inmates. The primary goal is to relieve pressure on prisons, which, as is well known, are bursting at the seams.

ÖVP Reacts with Displeasure to Sporrer’s Plan
Within the ÖVP, the plan continues to be met with skepticism. Parliamentary group leader and security spokesperson Ernst Gödl is first demanding a detailed outline of the plans. “We stand by our position: Hasty, knee-jerk decisions are not productive,” Gödl told the “Krone.” The safety of the public takes priority. “The minister must be aware of the signal she’s sending when she makes off-the-cuff remarks about wanting to release 500 inmates.” The People’s Party will intervene if public safety is jeopardized. “The ÖVP says clearly: Stop, if people’s safety is at risk,” Gödl emphasized.

We’re waiting for her to present this to us as a coalition partner. Then we can continue the discussion based on the government program.

ÖVP-Klubobmann Ernst Gödl

Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER

“We’re waiting for them to present this to us as a coalition partner. Then we can continue the discussion based on the government program,” said the ÖVP parliamentary group leader, criticizing the SPÖ’s lack of coordination with its coalition partners. The program specifically calls for expanding the use of electronic ankle monitors as a measure to relieve overcrowding in prisons. There are also no details yet regarding the announced plans for increased use of ankle monitors. “Here, too, we eagerly await the minister’s proposal,” said Gödl.

The Minister of Justice must relieve the strain on prisons in Austria—to this end, inmates are to be released early.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Three groups of inmates
Individuals convicted of serious violent or sexual offenses, terrorism, subversive activities, or violations of the Prohibition Act are to be excluded from early release. Dangerous repeat offenders are also not to be included in the measure. Three groups of inmates would benefit from the minister’s plans:

• Prisoners serving an unconditional prison sentence of up to nine months may be released after just three months if they demonstrate good behavior.
• Convicts serving sentences of up to 18 months could be released after six months if they have proven themselves during periods of relaxed prison conditions, such as temporary leave.
• Prisoners serving sentences of up to five years should be eligible for release after serving half of their sentence. A prerequisite is that they are already in the so-called pre-release phase, meaning they are allowed to organize work or housing outside the prison for the period following their incarceration.

Sporrer intends to pass the necessary legislation this fall.(Bild: APA/HARALD SCHNEIDER)

However, implementing the amnesty requires a separate law—which necessitates the approval of the coalition partners. According to the Justice Ministry’s plans, this law is to be passed this fall. At the same time, further measures to relieve the burden on correctional facilities are to be launched, including an expansion of the “detention in one’s home region” model.