Prisons in Switzerland are operated by the Swiss cantons, which are responsible for law enforcement in Switzerland. As of 2008, Switzerland has 124 prisons according to the Catalogue of Correctional Institutions (Katalog der Einrichtungen des Freiheitsentzuges) compiled by the Federal Statistical Office; other statistics, which account for various institutions being administratively associated with each other, report 117 prisons. Swiss prisons have a capacity of up to 6,736 detainees total (amounting to 89 detention places per 100,000 inhabitants), including up to 477 women and 105 minors. The detainees are housed in 4,531 single cells, 1,044 cells for multiple persons, 172 security cells, 200 disciplinary cells and 50 infirmary cells.
In 2008, Swiss prisons housed 5,780 detainees (77 detainees per 100,000 inhabitants), of which 5.8% were female, 1.2% minors and 69.7% non-Swiss nationals. Half of all detainees were serving prison sentences, a quarter were in pre-trial detention, six percent were detained for expulsion and extradition and three percent were reported as being in "protective custody and custody for other reasons". Additionally, in 2006, 5,333 persons served a prison sentence in the form of community work orders, and 114 served their sentence in the form of electronic monitoring house arrest.
in 2017, Prisoners that were locked up added up to about 6,900, while its maximum capacity is at about 7,500. The prison rate for Switzerland as of 2017 is up to 81 per 100,000. These numbers seemed to have slightly increased since 2008.[1]
According to a 2006 U.S. government report, Swiss prison conditions generally meet international standards, but prison overcrowding is a problem, particularly in the cantons of Geneva, Zürich and Bern. The report cites a 2005 Swiss government report stating that one-third of the country's detention centers were at or above their designated capacity, and nine were overcrowded by 20 percent or more. Overcrowding to 200% of capacity caused a mutiny at Geneva's Champ-Dollon prison in 2006.
Since the 1950s, correctional policy, prison construction, and operation is coordinated in organizations set up through regional agreements between several cantons (Strafvollzugskonkordate). As of 2009, these are:[2]
Training of prison staff is the responsibility of the joint Swiss Prison Staff Training Centre (French: Centre suisse de formation pour le personnel pénitentiaire, German: Schweizerisches Ausbildungszentrum für das Strafvollzugspersonal, Italian: Centro svizzero di formazione per il personale dei penitenziari) in Fribourg.[3]
| Image | Name | Canton | Location | Function | Opened | Capacity | Notes | External links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bezirksgefängnis Aarau-Amtshaus | AG | Aarau | Multipurpose prison | 1936 | 42 | ||||
| Bezirksgefängnis Aarau-Telli | AG | Aarau | Pre-trial custody | 1985 | 14 | ||||
| Bezirksgefängnis Baden | AG | Baden | Pre-trial custody, short imprisonment | 1984 | 25 | ||||
| Bezirksgefängnis Bremgarten | AG | Bremgarten | Short imprisonment | 18th century | 8 | ||||
| Bezirksgefängnis Kulm | AG | Unterkulm | Pre-trial custody, imprisonment | 1991 | 23 | ||||
| Bezirksgefängnis Zofingen | AG | Zofingen | Pre-trial custody, imprisonment | 1997 | 30 | ||||
| Bezirksgefängnis Zurzach | AG | Zurzach | Pre-trial custody, imprisonment | 1967 | 13 | ||||
| Justizvollzugsanstalt Lenzburg | AG | Lenzburg | Multipurpose prison | 1864 | 190 | Website Media archive | |||
| Stiftung Satis | AG | Seon | Indefinite incarceration, involuntary commitment, semi-liberty | 1956 | 9 | Website | |||
| Kantonales Gefängnis Appenzell Ausserrhoden | AR | Niederteufen | Pre-trial detention, extradition or expulsion detention | 2007 | 12 | Website | |||
| Strafanstalt Gmünden | AR | Niederteufen | Multipurpose prison | 1884 | 53 | Website | |||
| Strafanstalt Wauwilermoos | LU | Egolzwil | penitentiary and deportation[4] | Established in 1940 as Wauwilermoos internment camp[5] | 62 (2014)[6] | Website | |||
| Untersuchungsgefängnis Trogen | AR | Trogen | Police and pre-trial detention | 1840 | 2 | ||||
| Witzwil | BE | Gampelen | Men's detention | 1995 | 200 | With a total agricultural land area of 612 hectares, the penitentiary is the largest farm in Switzerland | Website | ||
| Flughafengefängnis Abt. Ausschaffungshaft | ZH | Zürich Airport | Expulsion detention | 1995 | 106 | With a total of 214 places (both divisions), the airport prison is the canton's largest. | Website Statistics | ||
| Flughafengefängnis Abt. U-Haft und Strafvollzug | ZH | Zürich Airport | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1995 | 108 | Website Statistics | |||
| Gefängnis Affoltern am Albis | ZH | Affoltern am Albis | Imprisonment | 1973 | 65 | Specializes in reintegration, houses only prisoners with a short remaining sentence. | Website Statistics | ||
| Gefängnis Dielsdorf | ZH | Spitalstrasse 5, Dielsdorf | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1960 | 64 | Specializes in the detention of women, particularly mothers. | Website Statistics | ||
| Gefängnis Horgen | ZH | Burghaldenstrasse 1, Horgen | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1937 | 52 | Has a specialized youth detention unit. | Website Statistics | ||
| Gefängnis Meilen | ZH | Untere Bruech 141, Meilen | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1954 | 35 | Smallest prison in the canton. | Website Statistics | ||
| Gefängnis Pfäffikon | ZH | Hörnlistrasse 55, Pfäffikon | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1979 | 80 | Has a high security unit for six detainees. | Website Statistics | ||
| Gefängnis Winterthur | ZH | Hermann Götz-Strasse 22, Winterthur | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1965 | 48 | Mainly used for pre-trial detention. | Website Statistics | ||
| Gefängnis Zürich | ZH | Rotwandstrasse 21, Zürich | Pre-trial detention, imprisonment | 1916 | 170 | Used almost only for pre-trial detention. | Website Statistics | ||
| Halbgefangenschaft Winterthur | ZH | Palmstrasse 2, Winterthur | Imprisonment, semi-detention | 1993 | 38 | Specializes in semi-detention. | Website Statistics | ||
| Haus Lägern | ZH | Lindenweg 30, Regensdorf | Semi-detention | 1998 | 30 | Semi-detention division of the Strafanstalt Pöschwies. | Website Statistics | ||
| Kolonie Ringwil | ZH | Koloniestrasse 2, Hinwil | Imprisonment, semi-detention | 1881 | 60 | Part of the Strafanstalt Pöschwies. | Website Statistics | ||
| Massnahmenzentrum Uitikon | ZH | Zürcherstrasse 100, Uitikon-Waldegg | Imprisonment, educative measures | 1874 | 48 | Centre for youth offenders. | Website Statistics | ||
| Polizeigefängnis Zürich | ZH | Kasernenstrasse 29, Zürich | Police and pre-trial detention | 1995 | 141 | Provisional police detention centre. | Statistics | ||
| Strafanstalt Pöschwies | ZH | Roosstrasse 49, Regensdorf | Imprisonment, indefinite incarceration | 1995 | 436 | Largest prison in Switzerland. | Website Statistics | ||
| Vollzugszentrum Urdorf | ZH | In den Luberzen 18, Urdorf | Imprisonment | 1987 | 49 | Specializes in brief detentions ordered in lieu of fines. Closes in 2010. | Website Statistics | ||
| zsge-Neugut | ZH | Neugutstrasse 8, Urdorf | Semi-detention | 1964 | 13 | Semi-detention and resocialization centre operated by a private foundation. | Website Statistics |