Report on the Security Situation in the Czech Republic in 1999
(in comparison with 1998)

Contents

2.3. Offenders

In the year monitored, the Czech police recorded 127,887 persons (-1.1 %) suspected of crimes in the Czech Republic. The number of male offenders (aged 18or more) questioned for offences was 97,019, i.e. 75.9 % of the total number of offenders, while 12,890 were women (aged 18 or more), i.e. 10.1 % of the total number of offenders. The police recorded a total of 89,920 first-crime offenders and 43,863 offenders aged 20-30 (this age category features the strongest population years, 1970 – 1975), which means that offenders in this age category account for 34.3 % of the total number of offenders recorded. Offenders between 18 and 20 years of age represent the highest percentage share of the population of the relevant age category.

Prosecuted and investigated persons – total crime
in the Czech Republic in 1999
  Age
Prosecuted and investigated persons 0-15 15-18 18-20 20-30 30-60 over 60
Number 8,832 9,146 10,142 43,836 54,172 1,732
I.e. percentage of total offenders 9.91 7.15 7.93 34.30 42.36 1.35
I.e. percentage of inhabitants in the relevant age category 0.50 2,21 3,13 2,60 1,27 0,09

Investigation authorities notified 110,867 (+9.4 %, +9,520) persons of a charge. Criminal prosecution (with the transfer of prosecuted persons from the previous period) was taken against 130,403 (+5.2 %, +6.463) accused persons. Due to suspicion of committed crimes 35,912 persons were verified, however these persons were not accused in the year monitored.

12,458 accused persons, which is 11.2 % of all persons who were notified of a charge, were taken into custody. At the time of 31st December 1999 there were 2,318 persons in custody, 19,710 accused persons were still vetted.

The courts of the Czech Republic lawfully sentenced a total of 62,595 persons5) (+8,512, +15.7 %) – the highest number after 1998. In total, 5,077 persons committed crimes under the influence of alcohol (8.1 %) and 654 persons under the influence of addictive substance (1.0 %). The structure of crimes has not substantially changed. 26,990 (+4.052) persons were lawfully sentenced for crimes against property, 6,086 (+267) persons for traffic offences, 2,615 (+488) persons for crimes of violence, and 935 (+399) persons for economic offences.

The North Moravian courts sentenced the highest number of persons – 16,402 (26.2 %),followed by the courts of Central Bohemia – 12,557 persons (20.0 %), South Moravia – 11,525 persons (18.4 %), Prague – 10,915 persons (17.4 %), and the lowest number of sentenced persons - 4,814 persons (7.6 %) comes from South Bohemia.

In the structure of sentences, the suspended prison sentences dominated (38,189 sentenced persons – 61.0 %), 17,416 persons (28.5 %) were inflicted punishment without suspension and separate pecuniary punishments were imposed on 3,370 persons (5.3 %). Sentences without suspension were frequently determined up to 1 year – 9,926 persons (64.7 %), sentences ranging from 1 to 5 years were imposed on 4,728 persons (30.8 %), from 5 to 15 years on 671 persons (43 %), exceptional sentences from 15 to 25 years on 12 persons, and 4 persons received a life sentence.

At 31st December 1999 there were 6,934 (-191) persons in custody and 16,126 (+1.184) persons were imprisoned, in total 23,060 (+993) prisoners. 19,485 (+1.822) prisoners were Czech nationals, 2,965 (-81) were foreigners, 610 (-748) prisoners had not received a decision on their Czech or Slovak nationality.

3,390 persons of the total number of 6,934 persons in custody underwent preliminary proceedings, while 3,430 persons underwent judicial proceedings. The average length of custody, 89 (-2) days, was in the preliminary proceedings. Judicial proceedings averaged 120 (-9) days and expulsion custody 103 (+64) days. The average total length of custody from a warrant was 164 (-13) days. The portion of young people under age was 227 (-37) persons, i.e. 3.3 % of the total number of persons in custody.

Of the total number of the 16,126 persons sentenced, 314 (+38) persons were in prisons with supervision. 5,395 (+474) were in prisons with surveillance, 9,597 (+553) in guarded prisons, and 820 (+119) in heavily guarded prisons. The share of juveniles in prisons was 131 (-32) sentenced persons. In the course of 1999, 799 (+114) sentenced persons got mitigated treatment, while 230 prisoners (+20) were transferred to more restricted treatment. 3,299 (+173) sentenced persons were conditionally discharged.

The custody jails were locked-up to 110 % (+1 %) and regular prisons to 121 % (+4 %). In 1999, there were mass riots in the custody jail in Prague-Pankrác. In three cases, the prisoners refused food en mass. 4 serious extraordinary events occurred with the prisoners’ guarding. 3 sentenced persons escaped. 31 (+11) escaped from non-guarded prison buildings and 24 (+15) prisoners were prevented in their attempt to escape. 80 (+14) wardens were assaulted both during their duty and off-duty. There is a lack of work opportunities for sentenced persons. The average ”employment” of prisoners during their punishment is 36.4 %. Custody prisons, as well as regular prisons, continued to be overcrowded. The total number of beds in prisons suffered the deficit of 4,000 beds, which meant an ineffective penitentiary function of imprisonment. Increased costs of prison service cannot be considered a long-term solution. Only modification of punishment policy corresponding with the best practices in the industrial countries (alternative sentences, probationary supervision, etc.) may change the adverse situation. In particular, the EU countries seem to divert from the massive usage of imprisonment and the effort to use extensive alternative sentences and diversions in prosecution is quite clear. In the Czech Republic 3,278 persons were sentenced to community work in 1999, while in 1998 there were only 725 such sentences.6)

The Ministry of Justice considers the unsatisfactory situation in prison service arising from overcrowded prisons to be a crucial risk factor.

2. Crime, Development in Individual Kinds of Crime and Security Risks

2.1. Crime by Regions. Regional Variations
2.2. Misdemeanours
2.3. Offenders
2.3.1. The Crimes of Repeat Offenders
2.3.2. Crimes Committed by Foreigners
2.3.3. Crimes Committed on Youth and by Youth
2.3.4. Crimes Committed by Members of the Czech police, Czech Army, Employees of the Customs Administration and Members and Civilian Staff of the Czech Prison Service
2.4. Victims of Crimes
2.4.1. Information on Victims of Crimes
2.4.2. Information Gathered from the Research of Security Feeling and Attitude of People to Security Risks
2.5. Crimes against property
2.6. Economic Crime, Corruption
2.7. Crimes of Violence
2.8. Crimes against Human Dignity (Moral Crimes)
2.9. Breach of Public Order and Hooliganism, Street Crime
2.10. Crimes Committed on Railways
2.11. Crimes Having Extremist Nature
2.12. Protection of Official Secrets
2.13. Illegal Migration
2.14. Organised Crime
2.15. Terrorism
2.16. Illegal trade in Arms and Explosives
2.17. People Trafficking
2.18. Forgery
2.19. Drugs
2.20. Road Safety
2.21. Searches for Persons and Articles
2.22. Communist Crime Investigation

Contents


Copyright © 2001 Ministerstvo vnitra České republiky
| úvodní stránka |