Prague, Aug 31 (CTK) – The annual human rights report to be debated by the government later yesterday warns of the problems with the integration of prisoners as there is a high repeat crime rate among them, recommending a more frequent use of alternative punishments.
The report also describes various human rights spheres such as those relating to children, foreigners and homosexuals.
The prison population has considerably increased over the past two years since the amnesty granted by former president Vaclav Klaus on January 1, 2013, the report said.
Last year, it rose by about 2000 to almost 18,700 prisoners.
Out of the 6443 amnestied persons, almost one-quarter, 1,498, have returned to the prisons since last December, the report said.
“The unflattering figure proves a number of enduring basic problems of the Czech prison system, in particular a high rate of amnestied persons’ repeat crime as well as the unpreparedness of the system and the whole society to integrate them,” the report said.
It points out insufficient work with the prison inmates, which is due to the long-standing underfinancing of the prison system.
Due to the growing number of prisoners, the conditions of their accommodation are worsening, the report said.
The state should use more alternative punishments that do not expel the prisoners from society, it added.
The remuneration of working prisoners should be increased so that they could repay their debts and be motivated more to work in the prisons, the report said.
The remuneration has not been increased for 15 years, it added.
With regard to homosexuals, there is the problem of legal recognition of their family life, the report said.
It also speaks about social integration, stressing the problem of the lack of social workers in some municipalities.
In the sphere of disabled persons’ human rights, there is still the problem of their discrimination in the access to education and support for such handicapped children.
