House arrest may be introduced as alternative punishment

A proposed amendment to the penal code would introduce house arrest as a form of alternative punishment, Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil said in a televised debate on Sunday. The minister is pushing for the amendment to be passed, arguing that house arrest as an alternative punishment for lighter offenses would alleviate the pressure on the country’s overcrowded jailhouses. According to the minister’s estimate a fifth of all prisoners in Czech jails – approximately 3,000 people -could be punished by house arrest. The minister argued that the cost of electronic bracelets and the respective police equipment would be cheaper than feeding and housing the offenders.