Justice becomes stricter

No release from prison for “deterrent effect”

Hardly a day goes by without a smuggler being apprehended in Austria: the current case involves a Moldovan who engaged in a dangerous chase with the Carinthian police.

(Bild: Schulter Christian)

Until now, first-time offenders in Austria could hope for clemency and early conditional release from prison. This could now be a thing of the past, as a decision from Carinthia shows: Particularly in the case of crimes with "high social disruptive value", the focus is on harshness and deterrence.

Two years in prison does not necessarily mean 24 months behind bars. For resocialization reasons, many convicts can be released after half or at least two thirds of the time served if circumstances permit. However, the circumstances could now change shortly before the national elections.