Photo: Criminal Sanctions Agency
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The Finnish Criminal Sanctions Agency has published its Statistical Yearbook for 2023, revealing a continued increase in the number of inmates and individuals serving community sanctions. The comprehensive report includes data on sentence lengths, types of crimes, and trends affecting the numbers of those serving sentences.
For the second consecutive year, the average daily number of inmates increased.
In 2023, the average daily inmate count was 3,143, about 90 more than the previous year. The total number of new inmates in 2023 was just under 6,500, nearly 500 more than in 2022. The most significant increase was seen among fine default prisoners, with their numbers rising by 23 percent to 2,347.
Prison sentences remained relatively short, with nearly 40 percent of released inmates serving three months or less. The average sentence length was 11 months, slightly lower than the previous year.
The proportion of first-time inmates has risen from 37 percent to 43 percent over the past decade. Additionally, the number of young and foreign inmates is increasing, with foreigners making up an average of 18 percent and those under 21 years old accounting for 3.5 percent of all inmates.
The largest group of inmates, 34 percent, were sentenced for violent crimes, with 21 percent convicted of homicide and 13 percent of assault. The proportion of inmates sentenced for violent crimes has decreased by seven percentage points over the past ten years. Drug offenses accounted for about one-fifth of the inmates, while 12 percent were convicted of robbery and 8 percent of sexual offenses. Among foreign inmates, approximately 40 percent were convicted primarily of drug offenses.
The average daily number of individuals serving community sanctions was 3,502, with 1,682 of them performing community service. The average number of those serving community sanctions increased by eight percent between 2022 and 2023. Notably, the number of individuals in the preparatory phase of enforcement has risen, likely due to process backlogs.
The average number of those under supervision for conditional sentences increased by eight percent from 2022. For young offenders, this is the most common sanction, with 79 percent of those under 21 serving conditional sentences with supervision. The number of youth sentences has remained stable at around seven percent. However, the overall proportion of those under 21 receiving community sanctions has decreased by four percentage points since 2022. The largest age group among those serving community sanctions is 30-39 years old, comprising 23 percent.
The most common primary offense for those performing community service was driving under the influence, accounting for 41 percent of cases. For those under supervision after conditional release, the most common primary offense was crimes against life and health (38 percent), while for those under supervision as a condition of a conditional sentence, property crimes were the most common (32 percent).
These statistics highlight ongoing trends and challenges in Finland’s criminal justice system, pointing to areas for potential policy adjustments and re
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
