Lower house passes bill combating overcrowding in prisons

Prague, Sept 6 (CTK) - The Czech Chamber of Deputies yesterday passed the legislation that is to reduce prison overcrowding, overriding a Senate veto and outvoting the opposition in the lower house.

Under the bill, house arrest and release on probation for less serious offences are to be used more often than now.

The legislation is also to shorten the deadlines for early release from prison, which was one of the main reasons of the Senate's opposition.

The bill, backed by 102 deputies, is yet to be signed by President Vaclav Klaus.

"The amendment is indispensable," said Justice Minister Pavel Blazek (Civic Democratic Party, ODS), adding that soon there would be no prison space for the offenders.

The bill is to implement the Justice Ministry's proposals under which the prisoners may be released to house arrest after serving one half of their sentences.

Expenditure on the operation of prisons is to be saved in this way, too.

In August, there were over 23,200 prisoners, but only 20,700 places in prisons.

The prison capacity has been crossed by over one-tenth, somewhere even by 30 percent, for a long time.