Residential addresses unknown Aargau offenders disappear during community service
In the canton of Aargau, offenders can replace a prison sentence with community service. Three recent cases show this: This does not always go smoothly.
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- In the canton of Aargau, three offenders who were supposed to replace their prison sentence with community service have gone into hiding.
- 38 percent of community service procedures were aborted last year.
- Despite the challenges, the canton sees community service as a sensible alternative to prison.
In the canton of Aargau, offenders have the option of replacing a prison sentence of up to six months with community service. This arrangement is intended to relieve the pressure on prisons and enable offenders to remain in their social environment. However, this alternative sentence does not always run smoothly. In three recent cases, the offenders concerned have absconded, as reported by the "Aargauer Zeitung" newspaper.
The three men, a 35-year-old Swiss, a 53-year-old German and a 42-year-old Swiss, had their applications for community service approved. However, the canton had to cancel the assignments. The reason: the men cannot be found.
The termination orders could not be delivered by post and were therefore published in the official gazette. The men's home addresses are unknown. The exact reasons for the termination of the missions remain unclear for reasons of personal privacy. What is clear, however, is that the men now face a prison sentence or a fine.
A sensible alternative to prison
Sandra Olar, spokesperson for the Department of Economic Affairs and Home Affairs, explains that community service can be terminated if the requirements are no longer met. This can be the case if new sentences with longer sentences are added or the required services are not provided.
Despite the drop-outs, the canton sees community service as a sensible alternative to prison. It relieves the burden on public institutions and represents a tangible sanction for those convicted.
Abandonment rate of 38 percent
According to the "Aargauer Zeitung", 140 out of 369 completed proceedings were aborted last year, which corresponds to a rate of 38 percent. However, the actual number of terminations is higher, as not all of them are published in the official gazette.
Despite these challenges, the Department of Home Affairs emphasizes the benefits of community service. It significantly relieves the pressure on prisons, which are currently operating at 85 to 90 percent capacity. However, the capacity utilization of prisons has no influence on decisions regarding requests for community service.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.