The Justice Ministry is preparing the conditions for home detention for convicted prisoners, the Hospodárske Noviny daily has reported, citing the head of the department of criminal law at the Justice Ministry, Lucia Kurilovská.
“It is important to implement forms of alternative sentences in practice; we plan specific steps in this direction,” she added. Justice Minister Tomáš Borec told the daily that some kind of system of electronic control would have to be introduced, adding that those sentenced might wear electronic bracelets to monitor their whereabouts. The measure can come into effect only after the Justice Ministry has completed a tender to supply such electronic control devices.
Slovak prisons, which have an official capacity of 10,800 places, are currently full. “According to data from the end of April, there have been 11,010 convicted and sentenced [of custodial offences],” ministry spokesman Peter Bubla said. Home detention would also be cheaper, as the cost of imprisonment in 2011 was almost €13,000 per person on average.
Source: Hospodárske Noviny
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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