Justice Minister wants to see more alternative punishments, fewer prison sentences

Justice Minister Pavel Blažek says Czechia should follow the example of other European countries in applying more alternative punishments to prison such as fines or community service. Speaking on Czech Television, Mr. Blažek said that although alternative punishment is an option and the number of fines as a form of punishment has increased in the past three years, the Czech Republic and Slovakia still have the most prison sentences by European standards. As a result, the ministry has for years been struggling to deal with the problem of overcrowded prisons.