ALTERNATIVES TO IMPRISONMENT TAPIO LAPPI-SEPPÄLÄ NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF LEGAL POLICY FINLAND

Aims of criminal policy from the mid 1960s onwards: Reduce the unnecessary use of imprisonment Extend the use of both old and new alternatives to imprisonment Take care of the victims righs by providing proper compensation for the victims Address the problems of juveniles under the child-welfare, and avoid the use of penal custody -> STEEP DECREASE IN IMPRISONMENT RATES IMPRISONMENT AS A LAST RESORT IN FINLAND

Reducing the Number of Prisoners in Finland (prisoners / population )

PRISONER RATES BY REGIONS 2012 (EUROPE) 4

Fines ( cases/year) Most widely used (60 % of court orders) Imposed as day-fines (fines adjusted also according to the income level) In addition summary fines – police/prosecutor (traffic)fines Conditional (suspended) imprisonment ( cases/year) Two out of three prison sentences are imposed conditionally Sentence will expire if no new offenses are committed during probation Community service (1990s->) (2 500 cases/year) Replaces 1/3 of short prison sentences Unpaid work for the good of the community (usually from 60 to 120 hours) Imprisonment: As a last resort (6 000 cases/year) 10 % of court orders Typically 3-10 months, life sentence for murder FINNISH SANCTION STRUCTURE

From the 1990s onwards community services came to replace prison sentences in Finland

The number of juvenile prisoners has strongly decreased in Finland since the 1970s. 7

1.Today majority of countries is struggling with prison overcrowding and increased incarceration rates – Not Finland 2.In many countries new alternatives have often replaced other alternatives, not imprisonment – In Finland alternatives have worked as TRUE alternatives to imprisonment 3.The number of juveniles in prisons has increased in many countries - Not in Finland 4.The reduction in the use of imprisonment has had no visible effects on crime rates in Finland. 5.Community sanctions have lead to lower recidivism rates as compared to imprisonment. FINNISH CRIMINAL POLICY AS AN INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS STORY

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